Because I Got High
by CrimsonObsession
Summary: SLASH: ToddKurt (Yes, you heard me, ToddKurt)- A chance encounter turns into the drama of the century for both the X-Men and the Brotherhood. Please read the notes and warnings inside...
1. Scene 1: Todd, Kurt

8/24/03-Okay. I love Kurt. My beloved Bridgie loves Todd. It stands to reason that she would make me love Todd, I would make her love Kurt, and we would love the hell out of both of them being together! Todd/Kurt is so our Evo OTP. Unfortunately for us, there's a decided and depressing lack of Todd/Kurt-age around here. So we made some, heh. This is an RP in fic form. For this scene I'm Kurt and Bridgie's Todd. And what do you know, this scene's basically a nice yummy PWP. XD But as soon as this one's over, we actually develop a PLOT [PSAG!] so I hope you'll stay tuned. Now, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 1-  
  
Kurt felt most at home in the dark. He could often be found, or rather, not found, on the campus at night. His natural abilities allowed him to disappear into the shadows quite effectively; he always took full advantage of them, as he was doing now. Teleporting from tree to tree, he alternated between exploring the grounds (a very different place at night), enjoying the solitude, and keeping an eye on the twilight activities of the school. Kurt is currently enjoying the 'floor show', as Evan is attempting to wow Kitty with some particularly choice boarding moves. Kitty is the very image of passionate interest. She clutches her books to her chest, stares skyward, and keeps checking her watch. Finally, with heaving shoulders that indicate a sigh of utter relief, she turns back towards the school, followed by Evan, who's scrambling to catch up. Recognizing his cue, Kurt readies himself for teleport to the kitchen. He doesn't make it. He stops cold, distracted by the play of the shadows on a crouching figure below. "Toad?!"  
  
  
  
Todd , having been staring off into space for quite some time now, jumps at the sound of someone's voice cutting through his hazy thoughts and bringing him back into reality. He quickly composes himself, however, and brings his body closer to the ground, ready to defend himself. "Who's there, yo?"   
  
Kurt teleports to a limb just above Toad's head, wraps his tail around the trunk, and drops. He hangs there, upside-down eyes giving curious looks to right-side-up ones. "Your friendly neighborhood Nightcrawler. And can I ask what you're doing here, 'yo'?"  
  
Todd jumps back in surprise, slamming against the tree trunk in the process. If he felt any pain, though, his face doesn't register it; instead, it goes through a quick variety of other emotions: shock to confusion to recognition to, finally, settling on laid-back--complete with half-lidded eyes and a lop-sided grin. "Yo, blue-boy. I'm just relaxing out here, yanno? I like to come here and chill sometimes, s'at okay with you?"   
  
Kurt wrinkles his nose. "Not really, no. I doubt anyone up there," he points at the institute over his shoulder, "...would. People tend to be freaked out by the thought of an enemy 'chilling' around their home."   
  
Todd blinks, his smug expression fading into that of genuine shock as he looks around. "Wait a minute, how did I--" /Play it cool, yo/ he tells himself. "Er, I mean.. yeah, I come here to chill. Ain't no crime in that, right? It's not like I done anything wrong." He stands abprubtly, only to double over in a coughing fit immediately after. "I--" cough. "I--" cough. "ARGH! I was just chilling, yeah, but I already told you that. I'll," he looks around again, more than a bit confused, before continuing, "I'll just go now." Coughing a couple more times, he turns on his heel and stuffs something in his back pocket, not entirely sure of where he's going. "Security..cams..lasers," he mumbles to himself. "How'd I get past 'em.." A small, child-like giggle escapes him as he wanders around, aimlessly.  
  
Kurt watches Toad weave through the trees. "Last time I checked, trespassing WAS a crime." Tolansky goes from west to east and back again, some times swaying clumsily and others barely missing a tree. He seems even more rebelliously relaxed than usual. Kurt decides it's time to put a stop to things. He debates on whether to call someone down from the institute, but Toad's behavior has him confused, and curious. "Mind if I ask what you think you're doing?"   
  
Todd snickers. "Ya got me," he says, then shakes his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. "Aw Jesus.." He stops only a few inches away from where he began and idly scratches his head, looking around. "Eh, can you help me get out of here?"  
  
  
  
Kurt eyes Todd, cynically. "It's not that hard, just keep walking until you hit the wall. What is up with you anyway?"   
  
Todd closes his eyes, as if the directions are complicated and he's trying to keep them straight. "Um.. which way is the wall? And, what do you mean, what's up with me, yo?" A nervous giggle. "Nothing's up, I'm just--am I talking too loud?" Todd coughs a little, then continues, "'cause I feel like I'm talking too loud.. and too fast," though, he's actually talking at a more relaxed pace than normal, "and Jesus, the moon is bright."  
  
  
  
Kurt blinks. "Are you..er..feeling all right? You're not sick, are you, because I sure don't want to catch it." He backs away a few steps. Todd sighs, giggles, and growls in frustration, all in a matter of five seconds. "Look, you have to promise not to call the cops.. promise me that, I'll tell you what's up, and you can get me outta here, yeah?"   
  
Kurt doesn't need long to mull the offer over. If he were being truthful to himself, the idea of the cops crawling around their happy home made him more nervous than Toad's presence. Better the enemy you know, and all. But that whatever Toad was doing warranted police? That was disconcerting. Still, Toad hadn't shown any aggression yet. As long as things stayed that way... "Fine, no cops. Let's go, you can give confession while we walk." He beckons Toad with a wave then starts for the east side of the wall.   
  
Todd releases a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and obediently follows the other boy. "Okay, see--" he tries, but how do you start a conversation like this? "--see, I don't really know how I got here. I kinda.. um, borrowed something from Lance, and well--am I talking too loud? Never mind. Fuck."   
  
Kurt asks, "Borrowed? Borrowed what, what's going on?"   
  
Todd growls. "Do you always ask so many questions, yo?" He abruptly stops in his tracks and pulls a baggie out of his pocket, waving it in Kurt's face. At first, it almost looks empty, but a closer examination reveals what looks to be green grains lining the bottom. "This, okay? I borrowed THIS."   
  
Kurt gapes. "What are you...where did he...Do you have any idea how much trouble you can get into with that?!" Even as the words leave his mouth he realizes how stupid they are. "Never mind, this is YOU we're talking about. Trouble is your middle name, ja?"  
  
Todd stuffs the baggie back in his pocket and casts a heated glare in Kurt's direction. "I ain't looking for a lecture, fuzzball. You don't now what it's like to be in my shoes, so back the fuck off." He resumes walking, still clueless as to where he's going, but at least it's something to do... he feels so twitchy. "It's hard at the boarding house," he adds, hoping Kurt will start leading him again. "Your mommy works us hard, yo."  
  
Kurt glares, his fur bristling at the mention of Mystique. "Oh please. Try taking lessons from Logan, then we'll talk about working hard." He pushes past Toad, shoving slightly with his shoulder as he walks off in the direction opposite Toad's wanderings. "Do you have any idea what that stuff does to you?"  
  
Todd mumbles, "I wasn't talking about working us hard physically..." His jaw tightens when Kurt pushes passed him, but he can't muster the spite to push back in his relaxed state. "Hey, don't treat me like I'm some ignorant kid here. Of course I know what it does to me--it calms my fucking nerves, okay?" He shoves his hands in his pockets, intent on keeping quiet, but adds as an after thought, "Not that it's any of your business, but tonight was my first time, okay? This is how Lance deals and he seems pretty controlled when he's stoned--'course he did grope my ass a couple of times--so I figured I'd be okay. Which I am. I'm totally relaxed and in control." To demonstrate this, he trips over his own feet and lands flat on his face.  
  
"Oh yeah, some control. You can't even manage on your own two feet. If this is what your first time is like, think of what the rest will do to you." Kurt reaches out a hand to him. "I don't even know why I'm bothering. The less coordinated you are, the better for us when we fight."   
  
Todd snorts. "Hey, the first time is always the worst.. or the best, depending on how you look at it, I guess. And like I said before," he pauses for a moment, blankly staring at Kurt's outstretched hand before continuing, "I ain't looking for a lecture, yo." It finally dawns on him that extended hand equals offer for help, and without further hesitation, he wraps his hand around Kurt's. On contact, however, his muscles stiffen as something sparks inside him... and all he can do is wonder if Kurt's fur has always been this soft.   
  
Kurt pulls Toad to his feet, not noticing the sudden change. He rolls his eyes and continues leading the way, pausing occasionally to make sure he hasn't lost Toad. They walk in silence for a while; but neither is very comfortable with silence. "Why here, anyway? You smoke some, then decide it'd be fun to come get your ass kicked by the whole institute? If that stuff made me think it was a good idea to waltz into your boarding house, I'd lay off it for good. Assuming I survived the encounter," he finishes, with an accusatory glare.   
  
Todd is enjoying the view--and as much as he wished it did, "the view" did not apply to the scenery, but rather the thin, blue eyeful ("Eyesore," he corrected aloud) traipsing in front of him. He'd never really taken the time to LOOK at Kurt before--/And I ain't gonna start now, yo/ he admonishes himself, shaking his head to clear these ridiculous thoughts. Kurt was a guy, after all. And blue. With a horrible German accent. And a swishy a--"Ehh," Kurt is saying something, he finally realizes... something about going to the boarding house and asses. "Huh?"   
  
Kurt stops long enough to give him a disgusted look. "Yeah, that stuff's not affecting your brain at all." He rolled his eyes as he said it.   
  
Todd breaks away from staring at Kurt's backside long enough to register that elfboy was making fun of him. He stops for a moment to look insulted (though it doesn't matter, as no one sees the gesture), then leaps forward to catch up with Kurt. "Hey, back off. Like I said before, you ain't got no idea what it's like.. you got your cushy little MANSION with free food and friends and me, I got.. I got SHIT. Besides," he pauses for a moment to look Kurt up and down, noticing the tense muscles (as well as just about everything else), "you look pretty stressed yourself. Maybe you should try some."   
  
Kurt exclaims, "If I'm stressed it's because I'm having to lead one of our most annoying enemies back to our front door after he traipsed so casually through it and all of our defenses!" He throws up his hands, exasperated. "I don't know why I'm even here, I should've just gone in to dinner while Logan came out to kick your scrawny butt back over the wall!"   
  
Todd notices that said wall is quickly approaching, but he doesn't really want to leave yet. Kurt's always fun to mess around with, especially when he's annoyed. Without further thought, Todd jumps in front of Kurt in an attempt to stop him, puts on what he hopes is a winning smile, and waves the baggie in the other boy's face once more. "Try some. You'll feel better. Trust me."   
  
Kurt takes a long look at the small bit of greenery left in the bag. He'd be lying to himself if he denied that he was curious, if only a little. He's heard the stories; some of them intrigue him. And there are things, plenty of things, he wouldn't mind forgetting for a while. Things he'd love to be able to just let go of, toss away with a relaxed laugh. He thinks of his mother, who Toad had been so kind to bring up, and frowns. Then he takes one last look at the goofy grin on Toad's face...and points to the wall. "There, setting you safe on the path home, as promised. Go on."   
  
Todd frowns, disappointment written clearly across his face in bold letters. He glances at the wall over his shoulder, then fixes his gaze on Kurt again. The fuzzball really does have a nice face, he decides. A nice neck, too. And he can't forget the chest, of course, toned but not buff.. and a nice, trim waist--perfect for sliding one's hands around--and oh, what a lovelyLOOKUP, his mind shouts, but it's too late. "Uhnicepants," he stammers. Then mentally beats himself up. What a stupid thing to say.   
  
Kurt finally notices the glint in Toad's eye that's been aimed at his back for a while now. A not-normal glint. A violent shiver runs up his spine, and his tail begins to twitch in reaction, switching back and forth jerkily. "What are you looking at? They're, uh...they're not that interesting, so lay off!"   
  
Todd shakes his head, wondering why the hell these thoughts are plaguing his mind... "I, uh, I.." but nothing else comes out. His eyes rest on Kurt's, and he knows he must be flustered by now, but damn, his mind is hazy and his body is warm and blueboy's lips are looking mighty inviting.   
  
Kurt takes an involuntary step back. The situation just went from weird to just plain freaky, and he doesn't trust the look now screaming from Toad's eyes, any more than he understands it. "Dude," his voice is shuddering and uncertain, oh god. "Did I pull a Pinocchio or something, why are you staring at me like that?"   
  
Todd decides that a nervous Kurt is definitely an appealing Kurt--well, not that any other kind of Kurt isn't just as appealing, but Toad realizes that he has a heightened affinity for nervous Kurt. Without breaking eye contact (in fact, the eye contact becomes more intense), he advances on the other boy, feeling the heat spread from his face to the rest of his body. "Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly sexy when I'm high?" That didn't make sense, but he wasn't exactly thinking with the right head...   
  
Kurt exclaims, "GAAH!" He stumbles back, trips over a tree root and falls, arms pinwheeling in the air. He lands hard on his ass, squishing his tail and sending a severe jolt up his spine. Instinctively he pauses to rub the ache out of his lower back, then realizes what he's doing and where he is and what one of his worst enemies just said to him, and decides now is not the time. "What, why are you-...if this is some weird new kind of truce I'd rather stay at war, thanks! What's wrong with you?!"  
  
Todd immediately looms over Kurt, leering at him through half-lidded eyes. "Wish I could say, yo; I'm as confused as you are," just, quite obviously, not doing anything about it.   
  
Kurt tries to back up. Toad's current expression is, if possible, even more frightening than what he'd just said. He swallows, and his throat is dry. "For the first time tonight, you don't look it." Kurt bumps into a tree behind him, adding a sore right shoulder to the aching back and pinched tail. A part of him wishes he were Kitty, that he could phase through the tree and keep going. Another part wants to run screaming. A more sensible part tries to remind him that he can escape just as effectively with his own abilities, but the rest of his brain seems paralyzed into...well, paralysis. "Look," his voice squeaks, and he winces and fights the urge to scream. "Why don't you just hop over that wall and we'll call it a night?"   
  
Todd squats down in front of Kurt, some detached part of his mind making sure that he's still at a height advantage, because staring at someone lustfully is just so much better when you're looking down on them. "'Cause." He's leaning so close to Kurt that only a mere few inches separate their faces, and he delights in the fact that blueboy can't back up any further. "'Cause," he repeats, body a-tingle. "Then I'd miss doing this." Slowly, the small gap between them is closed, flesh meeting with fur in a spark that travels through Todd's nerves all at once. /What the hell am I doing?/ the rational part of his mind wonders..   
  
Kurt stops breathing. His eyes fly open so wide it's painful. -What the hell?!- He's being kissed, he's being kissed by a guy, he's being kissed by TOAD, of all the guys who could've kissed him it had to be TOAD? Not that he wants to be kissed by a guy at all. But just saying, if he did it wouldn't be TOAD. Toad was creepy. He was slimy. He had the hygiene of a dead moose! He...he...'has really pretty eyes.' And where the fuck did that come from?! He makes a strangled noise deep in his throat, and tries to push Toad away.   
  
Either Todd doesn't realize that Kurt's trying to push him away or he doesn't care... perhaps a little bit of both, if possible. Maybe more of the former, because the only thing he realizes right now is that Kurt's lips are really soft, the fur tickling his skin just enough to make him smile. Still oblivious to the struggles, he deepens the kiss slightly, all while the small fraction of his mind that isn't clouded with pot and lust screams for him to stop what he's doing and get the hell out of there.  
  
Kurt wonders frantically why he hasn't teleported to safety and sanity yet. Being locked in unwanted, intimate physical contact with one of his worst enemies certainly seemed to warrant it. ...But how unwanted was it? Not enough to trigger his automatic flight reaction, apparently. Not enough for him to put the weight behind his pushing that would -force- Toad off of him. Toad is deepening the kiss, and the part of his brain that isn't panicking is distracted by the taste of pot and, surprisingly, chocolate that still clings to his lips. Kurt's surrounded by the musk of body odor; his nose wrinkles. But, truthfully, it's not that bad. Maybe frog-boy just took a shower (a week or two ago) but the scent is now spice and sweat and lingering pot, just this side of overwhelming, but not- 'What am I doing?! This is TOAD we're talking about here!' He shudders...but doesn't break the kiss.  
  
Todd slowly pulls away and opens his eyes, releasing a shuddering breath. Once again, his amber eyes lock with Kurt's, his subconscious mulling over the fact that their eyes are the same color.. yet his conscious mind entertains itself with the notion that Kurt's eyes are as wide as saucers. And then it hits him. What just happened, where he is, who he's with, how he got there, and /oh lord, PLEASE don't tell me this shit is starting to wear off already../ His body temperature rises, but he knows this time it's not from lust... "Please," he mutters, closing his eyes and rubbing the top of his head--he's still quite hazy after all. "Tell me YOU just kissed ME, or this is all some bad dream I'm gonna wake up from any minute, or SOMEthing.." Of course, he's well aware of what just transpired, but, y'know, it doesn't hurt to ask just in case...  
  
"M-ME? H-e-l-l no, YOU jumped ME. I can't believe you just did that, can't believe -I-..." Kurt's eyes dart around as if searching for an escape route. "This can't be happening. What is WRONG with you?!"  
  
Todd tries to brush off the situation with a nervous chuckle, but only succeeds in making himself feel like more of an idiot. It also doesn't help that the high isn't comepletely gone yet, nor is the ache in his groin... and boy, is he hot. He doesn't think he's ever been so flustered in his life, what with the blood vessels in his cheeks feeling as though they're about to pop. He needs to get cool fast, he decides, and the quickest way would be to take his shirt off. And he does so.  
  
Kurt can only stare, in horror and growing waves of panic. The horror stays, though the sight of Toad's lean, well-developed torso arouses an emotion stronger than panic. "What-" he chokes on the word, has to swallow hard and try again, "what in the hell do you think you're doing?!" 'I've asked that WAY too many times tonight,' he thinks idly, with the tiny part of his brain not busy being terrified or, heaven help him, horny.  
  
Todd blinks and looks at the discarded shirt on the ground. "Oh, uh, just trying to keep cool," which he's rapidly becoming, he realizes, wrapping his arms around himself as the chilly night air makes full contact with his skin. Now he was cold. Lovely. He gazes at Kurt again. Kurt is fuzzy, which means Kurt is warm. But Kurt is also a boy, and an enemy who hates him, but he looks so damn enticing when he's confused and terrified and--and that hint of something else that Todd's not quite sure about, but it makes him want the elf even more, and GEEZ he wishes that this high would either take over his mind or go completely so brain and body could agree on SOMETHING for once! Todd sighs, defeated, and leans in again, pausing only to say, "Feel free to beat me senseless or teleport away, yo," before capturing the other boy's lips once more. He's not quite sure how he wants Kurt to respond, but he figures it doesn't really matter at this point..  
  
Kurt is not quite sure how to respond. His brain screams at him, a dozen different things at once, from 'flee' to 'fight' to 'just give in and fuck the boy senseless.' (Needless to say, that part of his brain REALLY scares him.) Regardless, he can now see why Todd took his shirt off. The heat that'd been growing in his belly has been stoked. It spreads across his torso, over his cheeks, down...He realizes he wants more. For all his flirting and bravado, he'd never entertained the merest hopes of intimacy, of any kind. Even with his image inducer he normally shied away from human contact, either to hide himself from those who didn't know, or not to freak out further those who did. But for just this moment, someone wants him. His own longing is almost enough to let him forget who.  
  
Seeing that Kurt has neither disappeared nor ripped him apart, Todd deepens the kiss, pressing the other boy further against the tree, though not enough to hurt him--hopefully.  
  
Kurt allows himself to be backed against the tree, and ignores the rough bark scraping at his shirt and ruffling his fur. That Todd is taking the initiative is soothing somehow; it allows him to give up fault, and shift the blame to Todd, who can blame it on the drug's effects. It's so easy, so clean-cut. Except his pride and upbringing won't allow that kind of cowardice. If he's going to sin, it's going to be on his head, no one else's. He feels himself pressed harder against the tree, wants to melt into it. Tentatively running his fingers through a few strands of Todd's hair (thick and soft between his fingertips) his other hand slowly creeps to the downy hair at the base of Todd's neck. With gentle pressure, he deepens the kiss.  
  
Todd all but purrs at Kurt's touch. /That's it, then./ With the fuzzball responding like this, Todd resolves to throw all rational thought out the window and give in to primal instinct, which isn't hard as the lingering remnants of his high work to cloud his judgement. And make his body tingly... especially where Kurt's fingers are. "Mmm," he mumbles, extending his tongue and tentatively running it along the outside of Kurt's lips. Meanwhile, his hands are busying themselves with coiling around the other boy's waist, as if they had a mind of their own.  
  
Kurt moans into Todd's mouth. He knows how wrong it is, but it feels so right. The hands curling protectively around his waist, the tongue playing teasingly with his own, the lips and the flesh and the silk hair tickling against his chin, jaw, and neck in turn; he's waited a lifetime to feel like this, to feel ANY contact, and now that he has it he needs more, so much more. His tail goes from flying behind him to wrapping sensuously around Todd's waist, pulling him close as Todd was doing. His hands explore, sliding through hair, teasing collarbone, and gliding over flesh.  
  
Todd is very conscious of keeping his eyes closed (but not much else), fearing that opening them again would cause reality to give him one mean kick in the ass and he'd either end up running away or becoming Kurt's personal punching bag. Maybe both. And this was just too good to quit now, so keeping his eyes closed is definitely a good idea, he decides. When Kurt's tail wraps around him, wow, that sends shivers up his spine and out his mouth in a shuddering sigh. He pulls back slightly, taking Kurt's bottom lip into his mouth and nibbling on it slightly, his hands slowly making their way up the sides of the other boy's shirt and gently kneeding the soft fur beneath. Hell if he knows what he's doing, but this is what happens on those late night HBO TV shows and he'll be damned if he's gonna let one of his worst enemies know that he's inexperienced. /And this is NOT what you do with one of your worst enemies,/ that small fraction of reason reminds him, but the rest of his brain mutters a polite 'fuck you' in response.  
  
Kurt nearly cries out at the sensation of nimble fingers tickling his sides. His whispered moan is muted by the mouth hungrily devouring his own, and he hisses slightly as sharp teeth pull gently at his bottom lip. His eyes are stubbornly shut, allowing him to focus on touch, his world imploding until all that remains is lips, and hands rubbing his fur, which has to be the most delicious sensation he's ever felt. They move up his sides, pushing the fur in the wrong direction and tickling him even more, then shift direction, pressing the fur down in smooth motions. He can't tell which makes him squirm more. He wraps his arms fully around Todd's neck, and pulls him close as if his life depends on the contact. His tail moves to return the favor, tickling gently across Todd's creamy skin from all angles.   
  
Todd almost opens his eyes, wants to see the expressions that accompany those delightful little mewls and moans, but no--it'd be sexual suicide, can't do it. But those sounds alone... they're enough to cause his hairs (and a couple other things, thank you) to stand on end, and he answers them with his own groans and whimpers. Especially when that sensuously prehensile tail caresses his skin. Pulling away just a bit more, Todd kisses his way along Kurt's jaw, nipping lightly, idly wondering if he'll choke up a hairball in the morning... he chuckles into the fur, but composes himself quickly, continuing his trail of nibbles to the base of Kurt's ear.  
  
Kurt moans again, and this time it's full-voiced. The teasing caresses leave a line of fire across his jaw, and he's sweating like mad under his fur. He buries his face in Todd's hair, inhaling the musky scent that's becoming increasingly appealing, an acquired taste he's quickly learning to like. He leans into Todd, wrapping his arms ever tighter around his lean shoulders and letting his fingers dance along Todd's back and down his spine. His tail seems to have a mind of its own; its trail is erratic, the only constant a steady drifting from skin to denim. He wants to get closer, NEEDS to get closer. He finds himself pressing forward, trying to straddle Todd's lap.  
  
Todd takes the hint--had been thinking along the same lines, in fact--and softly slides his hands down the other boy's sides, out from under the shirt, and around Kurt's very firm (/and very squeezable/) ass, groping fervently for a moment before pulling close. Very close. TOUCHING close. Todd's breath catches in his throat, leaving him a motionless twit, making little gasping sounds in Kurt's ear. The (/beautiful, heart-stopping/) contact (/with one of the people I hate the most/) has rendered him helpless and not quite sure what to do at the moment.  
  
Kurt gasps into Todd's hair, followed by a sound that's somewhere between a cry and a deep-throated moan. Some part of him still can't believe there's someone that actually wants to touch him, let alone touch him -there-. The long fingers gripping his ass are sending waves of electricity to his crotch, where it becomes all-out lightning as heated denim meets denim and he nearly screams, arching his back and letting his eyes fly open. He sees trees above, looks down to Todd. The boy's eyes are squeezed shut, the dark circles around them standing out in stark contrast with the pale skin of his face. His mouth is open slightly, the heavy breathing pausing with a sharp gasp. This time it's Kurt who dives in for another kiss.  
  
Todd is somewhat startled when Kurt takes the initiative and kisses him again. So blueboy wants it just as bad, then..? Maybe he can risk looking, after all--just a quick peek, no harm. He opens his eyes to mere slits and sees that Kurt looks... hot. In both senses of the word. Removing the fuzzball's shirt would be good. Yes, less clothes, very good. Regretfully, he breaks the kiss and winds his fingers into the hem of Kurt's shirt, entertaining the thought of just ripping it away, but does not act on it. Damned if he's gonna take all the blame for this--he might be high, but he's not completely braindead. He tugs a little, his way of asking for permission. He's forgotten to close his eyes, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he both hopes and dreads to make eye contact.  
  
Kurt is startled when he opens his eyes to find slits of amber, shadowed by hunger. Todd's eyes trap him, take his breath and stun him long enough that he doesn't protest at the loss of Todd's lips. His brain vaguely registers the fingers playing again at his sides, cool against his burning fur. But they're not just playing, this time they're hooked under his shirt and tugging...he stares down distractedly, for a moment not understanding the question the motion is making. All he knows is heat and hands and amber eyes staring down...Realization dawns. The stubborn, rational part of his brain screams to stop, that this is the last step before their actions are irreversible and undeniable. The rest of his brain couldn't care less. The feeling, of flesh and those eyes roaming his body, wanting HIM, is all that matters. He hesitates only briefly before reaching down to pull at the fabric.  
  
Todd keeps his eyes downcast, watching distractedly as Kurt's hands join his own at the shirt hem. All right, so this is it, then; no turning back. He helps remove the offending item of clothing, up over the other boy's head, and tosses it into a heap on the ground next to his own. And then he pauses, staring at a nicely toned chest covered in blue fur--and as much as the thought of a human fuzzball may have disturbed him before, he finds it oddly erotic. As his gaze travels up, his breath hitches when his eyes rest on Kurt's... but it's not as bad as he thought it would be. Far from it, in fact. Kurt's gaze is filled with neither anger nor fear; Kurt's gaze is filled with lust, mirroring what Todd imagines his own eyes hold, and that is a very comforting, very PLEASING thought. Tentatively, he runs a shaky palm down the center of the other boy's chest, never taking his eyes away.  
  
Kurt bites his lip at the touch, his eyes slipping closed for a moment, instinctively. He moans, and places a hand on Todd's, pressing the boy's hot palm against his chest, leading it down, further and further. His back arches and he leans back, his shoulders pressing again on the rough bark of the tree behind him. With his free hand he grabs Todd's neck, pulls him in closer, but still far enough away to afford him a perfect view of lean torso, pale skin, and heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes.   
  
Todd allows himself to be pulled closer, but muscles tense as his hand is lead down.. and down.. He gulps, uncertain of what to do next. Well, he knows what he should PROBABLY do, but is it that simple? Is there some order everything's supposed to happen in, some code of conduct they need to follow? He suddenly realizes that the pot is wearing off, much to his chagrin as it seemed to make up for the bundle of experience he lacked, but now.. he's just lost. He looks down again (embarrassed, but hoping it doesn't show), down at the hand leading his, and wishes that Kurt would continue leading for a while, just so he could be sure he was doing things right. Hopefully, Kurt wouldn't notice the role reversal too much... /heh, right./  
  
Kurt is surrounded by heat. His senses, just a step below Wolverine's in strength, are overwhelmed by musk and the heady scent of arousal, his own and Todd's. It's intoxicating, and he wonders vaguely if this was how the pot made Todd feel, before. If so, well, they'd apparently discovered something better. Much, much better. Todd's fingers reach his navel, and pause to play with the skin around it, making Kurt squirm, tickling and rubbing the fur both ways. It feels so good, but it's not yet enough. Starving for contact, he tries to lead his hand on, closer to the furnace burning him alive.   
  
But Todd hesitates. Only for a fraction of an instant, but it's there, and Kurt's suddenly uncertain. He knows he wants it now, so badly, but does Todd still...what if the drugs are wearing off, what if he's realizing what he's doing. As what he's doing is engaging in a heavy make-out session (and perhaps more?) with one of his greatest enemies, that hesitation could be just the beginning of Todd coming to his senses...Kurt swallows hard against the lump rising in his throat, and chokes out, "What's wrong, is something wrong?"  
  
Todd is startled to his senses, the voice echoing loudly in his ears. How long has it been since they've actually said anything..? "I," he croaks, having trouble finding his own voice. He brings his gaze up, troops of blood leaving his nether regions only to regroup in his cheeks. He clears his throat. "I, I don't know--" No, no, no, don't show weakness. "I mean," what? Save yourself! "I mean..." He spares a quick glance at his hand, the one over Kurt's navel, and begins moving it in slow, gentle circles, then up, up and to the left, to a fur-covered nipple, running his calloused palm over it experimentively. Damn, that felt sexy. Blood descending, have a nice day. Leaning forward, his face centimeters from Kurt's, he puts on his best leer, his other hand pulling at Kurt's rear again. "I want you to tell me what you want," he whispers. /Aw yeah.. good save, yo,/ he congratulates himself. /Who needs pot to make up for lack of experience when you're Todd Tolensky?/  
  
Kurt gasps at the first movements of Todd's roaming fingers, body pressing into the touch. But the feeling is slight in comparison to the wave that crashes over him at that look in his eyes, that hungry, almost feral look. Maybe he'd just been imagining it, all hint of hesitation was gone from Todd's manner, replaced by smooth, steady hands and slow, deliberate movements. Then he says those words, and Kurt realizes he doesn't know what he wants. No, that's not true. He knows what he wants, he's just not allowed to want it, it's wrong on so many levels that don't mean a thing to him now but won't they later? But now is the present, and sometimes, Kurt's learned, you can't worry about the consequences. He hesitates only briefly, staring into the hungry, heavy amber eyes above him, before wrapping his arms again around Todd's neck and raising his hips until they make contact with unbearable heat. "I want this. I want," he pants, "I want you."  
  
Wow. Those three words alone are almost enough to send Todd over the edge. He never imagined anyone would be saying that to HIM (dirty, disgusting Toady Tolensky, outcast and fist magnet extraordinaire), but someone IS saying it to him, and that someone happens to be Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler, the X-geek he thought he hated--DOES HATE--the most. And the fact that those words, coming from Kurt's lips, thick with a German accent, has such an affect on him is horribly terrifying and delightfully arousing all at once. But those words didn't give the answer he needed... what does he do next? Take it slow? Should the pants come off? Is someone gonna end up with a sore ass tomorrow? /Oh, fuck it.../ Throwing rationale to the wind, he lets his body take over and leans in, ravishing Kurt's lips, pressing close, grinding, feeling flesh against fur, and damn, that felt good on his nipples...  
  
Kurt growls deep in his throat, presses his face into Todd's shoulder and inhales. It feels as though their bodies are melting into each other, pushing and pressing and rubbing and oh GOD he never knew it could feel like this, his most self-indulgent delusions and dreams never prepared him for the reality. It was rare that he entertained thoughts of anyone wanting to touch him, even in his fantasies, but now someone did. Sure it was Todd, up until mere minutes ago the last person on earth he'd have taken up on the offer, but somehow that'd gotten reversed, and he thought Todd would be, well, WAS, the first he'd accepted. And oh how it was paying off.   
  
Kurt grunts suddenly as he's pressed just a little too hard into the tree, the bark scraping the skin too harshly for comfort. Frowning, he sits up a bit, then lays back on the soft grass a few inches to the side, beckoning Todd to follow with nails scraping against his sweat-slicked chest.  
  
Todd doesn't hesitate, doesn't even need to be beckoned; the minute the other boy lies on the grass (all but screaming, "FUCK ME, PLEASE," in his not-so-humble, lust-driven opinion), Todd settles himself between Kurt's legs, groin to groin. With his hand on either side of the other's body for support, he experimentively presses forward.. and practically melts on top of Kurt. "Oh god," he whispers, fixing his eyes on the pair of golden ones directly below him. Pressing forward again, only once, wanting to see the reaction...  
  
Kurt cries out, the sound echoing through the trees around them and off the wall. The world is nothing but heat and thrusting, a taut body and intense amber eyes burning into his. Todd whispers, his tone that of a sinner graced with the presence of something sacred and Kurt marvels at how beautiful he's become in such a short time. His hips move with Todd's, each jolt sending sparks shooting through his groin and up his belly, his tail twitching uncontrollably and flinging itself around Todd's waist. Panting so hard his chest aches, Kurt runs his fingers up and down Todd's sides, through Todd's thick hair, that falls like a curtain around his shining face. Almost of their own volition they travel down the sweaty skin to the source of the heat. He caresses it gently, almost reverently...  
  
Todd gasps. Muscles like jelly, he collapses on the body below him, burying his face in the crook of Kurt's neck, nuzzling the fur, nipping and sucking at the skin beneath. Curious hands, twitchy with excitement and arousal, explore the soft chest matted with sweat, circling over nipples, collar bone, shoulders and back down.. down the sides, to the hips, and up, using his nails. Down again, further, slipping under the denim, and resting on soft thighs, lightly squeezing. He thrusts himself against Kurt, against Kurt's hand, and he doesn't want to say it, tries everything in his power not to, yet he can't help it; can't help but utter, "Kurt.." his voice breathy, hot against the fur it touches. Hearing that word leave his lips, the WAY it left his lips--it feels almost forbidden (/and it is,/ he tells himself.. /what a way to show weakness to your enemy/), and because of that.. it felt so good, and he moans, thrusting harder...  
  
Kurt feels as if there's a dozen hands on him, not just two very, VERY eager ones. His body squirms and bucks of its own accord, one hand now kneading Todd's denim-covered crotch, the other digging long lines down his slick back, slightly raised reddened welts growing up in the trail of his claws. The attention of Todd's teeth and tongue on his neck is intoxicating, the feel of his hand on his thigh so wrong but so..damn..right. He presses against the warm body above him, trying to melt into the heat. His fingers find the button on Todd's jeans...  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Todd realizes that they've opened a can of worms, and no amount of stuffing is gonna get those babies back in... not that he really wants to at this point, but the fact of the matter remains that there's absolutely no turning back, and he can't help but worry about how he's going to feel when this is all over. Regardless, he's too far gone to care and proceeds to raise his body a little, allowing Kurt better access. The hands that are busy groping furry thighs readjust themselves, one winding around and running inquisitive fingers over and under the base of Kurt's tail, while the other slips out and provides stimulus to the source of heat in the other boy's jeans.  
  
Kurt can't help the mewling noise that escapes his throat on the contact. Todd's fevered skin on the sensitive flesh at the base of his tail, tickling and teasing, is driving him mad, overwhelming his senses as much as the attention of Todd's other hand. His tail winds itself around Todd's wrist, up his arm like some serpentine arm band, then releases it in favor of the warm body above. It twines around Todd's waist and rubs gently but quickly, urgently. Kurt's fingers, meanwhile, fumble with Todd's pants. The belt is already open, but the buttons frustrate his sweaty grip. He growls irritably, gives a tug to the pants and glares at the offending clothing.  
  
Todd tenses when Kurt growls, wondering if he'd done something wrong. He pulls back, searching for the other's gaze and finds it scowling at something below. He looks down to see sweaty, blue hands fumbling with the buttons on his jeans and quickly remedies the problem with nimble (albeit twitchy) fingers, which then go to work undoing the buttons on Kurt's jeans. He dips his head down, nipping at the other boy's collarbone before slowly tracing a path to Kurt's chin with his tongue.  
  
Kurt nearly sighs in relief when Todd takes the hint. Instinctively he presses up as soon as Todd's pants are undone, needing to touch the heat, then Todd's fingers go to work on his own jeans, and he forces himself back to give the boy room, moaning with barely supressed desire. Gripping Todd's shoulder tightly with one hand, he brings the other down, pressing again on Todd's jeans. He hesitates for a moment, suddenly nervous about the step they're taking, but lust takes over and he plunges his hand beneath the denim. Feeling still more fabric, boxers, he whines. But the obstacle's easily overcome; his fingers find the boxers' fly and press through, finally rewarded with the feel of pulsing warm flesh against his. He moans, an animal sound, and begins a series of slow caresses.  
  
Todd stops everything: moaning, moving, breathing. All his senses focus on that one spot, those soft caresses, the fur against his flesh--who knew it could feel so good? Primal instinct tells him to thrust forward and he complies, rewarded with pleasurable sparks at the end of every nerve. "Fuhuck.." he chokes, almost sobs, and immediately, his body comes to life again. His lips attack Kurt's, biting gently, pulling the bottom into his mouth and sucking hungrily. His fingers slide into the front of Kurt's jeans, down the waistband of the boxers, and wrap around their target, stroking slowly. Meanwhile, his other hand can't decide if it wants to stimulate Kurt's tail or grope urgently at the ass beneath it.  
  
Kurt is in awe, enthralled with the noises Todd's making, the breathy sounds; when he speaks, almost sobs, Kurt's ears burn with it, his heart pounds at the thought that HE's wrenching those noises out of Todd's throat. The lips on his are devouring him little by little, and he captures them, his tongue diving into the heat and wet. Then it happens, he feels fluttering fingers snake beneath his boxers. They grasp his feverish flesh and begin stroking, and his nerves explode. He screams, full-throated and desperate, and the sound echoes through the trees. Somewhere there's a sound of wings flapping, a night bird startled into flight. For a moment his hands forget their own movements, all he can do is stare at the trees and the night sky as his muscles tense to the breaking point, his back arching almost painfully. With a whimper he forces his eyes down, back to Todd's eyes, which are still heavy with lust, hungry. He wraps his arms around Todd's neck, clinging onto him for dear life. One hand tangles itself in his sweat-matted hair, the other strays back to its previous post and continues its ministrations. Only this time it's more urgent, more frenzied, his fingers curling around Todd's length and stroking fervently.   
  
Todd gasps sharply, feeling a familiar tingle at the base of his spine, and he knows he isn't going to last much longer. Mind fogging over, he seeks out Kurt's eyes, his own smoldering with lust and desire, becoming glassy as the pressure in his gut builds to the point of being almost unbearable. The pace of his strokes quickens to match Kurt's, and in his heightened state of pleasure, he's almost delirious, gasping and uttering words absently: "..fuck..Kurt..yes..god..yes.." The words burn in his ears.  
  
Kurt wants to squirm at the building pressure in his groin, wants to scream again. Breathless, though, he's left with a tone barely over a whisper. "Don't stop, oh god don't stop!" Todd meets his gaze and what he sees in his amber eyes forces what little breath he had left from his lungs. He buries his face in the angle where Todd's neck meets his shoulder, surrounding himself with Todd's scent and feel. The other boy's just as close to the end, it's obvious in the musk that emanates from his burning skin. Desperately he clings to him; he clamps his teeth on Todd's shoulder, firmly but without breaking the skin. He continues to stroke Todd's member, ever faster. His tail stops winding itself around the boy's lean waist, creeps down to his jeans. With a strong flick the jeans and boxers fall back, just far enough to reveal perfectly rounded flesh, pale in the moonlight. His tail rubs gently between the globes of Todd's ass.  
  
Todd reflexively clutches a handful of Kurt's backside, surprised at the feeling the boy's tail produces: an unexpected jolt of pleasure, up his spine and all through his body. Breath ragged and shallow, he buries his face in Kurt's hair, mewling and moaning and crying senseless words of ecstasy as the pressure boils inside. He pulls himself as close to the other boy as humanly possible, thrusting and grinding and sobbing into blue hair, his strokes becoming more urgent, rapid, and sporadic, and he wishes he could hold out--wishes he could make it last longer, but he can't hold back. His body arches, eyes slam shut, mouth emitting animalistic sounds as he grinds himself into Kurt's hand, riding the wave for all it's worth.  
  
Kurt revels in the sounds diving off Todd's tongue, the mews and moans and gasping, heaving breaths. Knowing that he's the one bringing them out, that that's all because of him, it's intoxicating, adding fuel to the fire that threatens to consume him. Todd seems to be trying his damnedest to fuse his body with Kurt's, who, for his part, offers no objections. Kurt presses against him, compounding his heat with Todd's, meeting him thrust for urgent thrust. That spot at the base of his spine is tingling madly, making his entire body vibrate uncontrollably. Todd nuzzles his neck, losing himself in Kurt's hair, and Kurt looks down to a lean, taut-muscled back and a gorgeous ass, moving rhythmically, rapidly. Suddenly that back tenses, forming a perfect arch, and a feral sound issues from Todd's chest and throat, rolling through Kurt and setting off every nerve in his body. He grips the boy desperately, presses his face against Todd's chest, the place behind his eyes still filled with a vision of dark-circled amber and gasping mouth. Todd thrusts into his hand one last, violent time.  
  
Todd's body tenses entirely as he chokes out a final sob, sparks flying behind his eyelids, breath catching in his throat. As he releases all the tension that had swelled in his groin, the only movements are his hands: one spasmodically stroking Kurt and the other touching, groping, kneading anything and everything on the boy's backside. His body is on fire and he wishes the feeling could last forever.  
  
Kurt nearly screams at the final surge of heat and energy. Todd's hands seem to be everywhere at once, teasing and burning lines in his flesh, and suddenly Kurt feels his release. As the warm fluid spreads between them, it's that last choked cry that sends Kurt over the edge. The world explodes behind his closed eyelids, blossoming in reds and fiery white, every nerve fries, nothing registers but their heat and heavy panting, their lingering whimpers and cries that blend until he's not sure which belongs to who. Tears roll down his cheeks, and he wipes his eyes on Todd's shoulder.  
  
Todd collapses against the body beneath him, his breath hot and ragged against Kurt's ear. Once he regains enough sense, he removes his hands from the other's jeans, absently noting that one was warm and sticky.. he lazily wipes it on the grass and sighs contentedly, swimming in the afterglow of a powerful climax. As reality hasn't quite kicked in yet, he doesn't stop himself from nuzzling the fur on Kurt's neck--something he'll probably kick himself for later, the soppy twit. He feels wonderful. Wonderful and warm. And sexually satisfied, which is the best part, oh yes.  
  
Kurt gives a shuddering sigh as the last traces of those powerful waves wash over him. He relaxes totally, falling back to the soft grass like some ragdoll, utterly spent and totally content...for the moment. The rational part of his brain is fighting its way back through the haze of lust, making its stubborn way to the surface, but he ignores it in favor of running a hand through Todd's soft hair, equally as stubborn and determined to make this warmth and comfort last as long as possible. He wraps his arms around Todd, gentle in contrast to their frenzied movements of mere moments ago, then realizes with a start that his other hand was still wet; there's now a sticky smear on Todd's jeans. Kurt curses under his breath, and belatedly wipes his hand on the grass.  
  
Todd could almost fall asleep like this, with Kurt's arms wrapped around him, their breaths even and relaxed. Never in any of his fantasies did he consider how it would feel after the deed was done. It was like being high, only it was natural, and--let's face it--the events leading up to it were far more exhilirating than puffing some weed. Heh. And now silly notions are entering his head, comparing Kurt to a joint and whoa, the mental images accompanying the thought of smoking said Kurt-joint sure are disturbing. He smirks, closing his eyes and letting feelings of sleep wash over him, clouded mind mulling over random thoughts of nothing in particular. Life is good. Until he hears Kurt mutter something, that is. Immediately, his eyes shoot open and he looks around, as if just NOW registering exactly what happened. His comfortable haze is shattered, transformed to awkward silence as he wonders what he should do now. Should he say something...? 'Was it good for you' briefly comes to mind, but that would sound stupid, and besides, a lump of panic has wedged itself into his throat. Lovely.  
  
Kurt starts at the movement, and looks up to see Todd's eyes darting around, filled with surprise. He swallows, throat suddenly dry. Ice begins to form in the pit of his belly, slowly overtaking the precious warmth that lingered there, and his rational mind finally claws its way to the top, barking a triumphant laugh. He stares at Todd, transfixed by his gaze. His mouth's working, but there's nothing to say, what kind of words could one possibly find for this situation?! The only thing that comes out is a strangled whimper.  
  
Todd blinks, eyes looking at everything but Kurt. "My sentiments exactly, yo," he chokes in response to the whimper. He carefully disentangles himself from the mess of limbs, very aware of every accidental touch. They burn his skin; not in the delightfully fervid way experienced only moments before, but as a reminder of that experience and the utter immorality of it all. He sprawls out on the grass next to Kurt, entertaining the idea of just getting up and leaving when a sudden cool breeze hits where sudden cool breezes shouldn't be. "Fuck," he mutters, buttoning his jeans, glaring at the mess they made on them. He sighs, half of him wishing Kurt would just teleport away, the other half... utterly lost.  
  
Kurt moans dejectedly, and squeezes his eyes closed as if to shut out the reality of the entire night. He doesn't want to see Todd, doesn't want to be reminded of the feel of that beautiful body when there are so many things keeping him from having it again. Idly, he rubs the back of his neck, and casts his gaze to the forest's soft floor, unable to meet Todd's eyes, afraid to see them mirroring his own fear and nervousness, or worse, his self-disgust. His every instinct screams for him to just teleport the hell out of there, but he shudders to think that it'd be interpreted as a rejection. Which it would be, but he suddenly can't stand the thought of hurting Todd, not over this. He realizes random tears are still dripping down his cheeks. He opens his mouth again, tries so hard to say something, anything...it doesn't work.   
  
Todd sighs; the silence is deafening. He sits up, idly pulling at blades of grass, gaze falling on the discarded shirts about a foot away. He grabs them, pulling his own over his head and tossing the other somewhere in Kurt's general direction, still intent on keeping his eyes fixed on anything but the other boy. "Um," he begins, uncertain. "I guess.. I should go now.."  
  
"Wait-" the word's out of Kurt's mouth before he can stop it. His gaze shoots to Todd; he ignores the pang he feels on seeing that Todd's now fully clothed. Desperately groping for words, he runs a hand through his hair, fingers twitching. He doesn't want to say it, but knows that whatever the outcome, they can't just walk away tonight. "What...what just happened, exactly?"  
  
He finally looks--or rather glares--at Kurt. If expressions could talk, Todd's would be saying, 'what the fuck? Are you dense?' "What, you needa rundown? Did you have your eyes closed or something? Fuck." He averts his eyes again and my, the grass is looking mighty interesting... There's a pang of guilt gnawing at his gut for being so short with Kurt, but damnit, he's feeling just as confused and angry with himself, and what better thing to do than take that anger out on your worst enemy, right? /The enemy you all but screwed a few minutes ago./ He desperately shakes his head, trying to clear that thought...  
  
'That's what you get,' crows a cold, cruel voice in the back of Kurt's mind. 'You expected anything better from your worst enemy?' He growls, tells his conscience, or whatever that was, to shut the fuck up, can't you see I'm busy? and clenches his fists, irritable. "I'm not talking about, about-THAT. Mein Gott, why in hell-" he buries his face in his hands, shudders. "We have to...what happens after this? This isn't something we can just forget." 'Not that I'd want to,' he thinks, ignoring the guilt the thought brings with it. Suddenly embarassed, he snatches up his shirt, pulling it on roughly.  
  
Todd runs his fingers through his hair and draws his knees to his chest, groaning as he buries his face into his jeans. At once, his nose is filled with the scent of sex and he pulls back, stomach tight, eyes staring heatedly at an ugly white stain near his crotch. "Look," he sighs, settling his gaze on Kurt, trying to look as calm and controlled as possible. "Does anything have to happen after this, man? YOU know it shouldn't have happened, and I DEFINITELY know it shouldn't have happened, so why the hell CAN'T we just forget about it..?" As if it was so easy. Christ, what happened tonight is permanently burned into his mind, but he can at least pretend to forget about it for the sake of rivalry, right..?  
  
Kurt is almost on the verge of responding 'What if we don't want to? To forget, to keep being rivals, to go on fighting and arguing over causes that sometimes don't even feel like ours...' Something inside of him is burning, a sickly, destructive shadow of the fire they'd just shared. He suddenly feels ill, and wants nothing more than to be away from here. Already this place is a vicious reminder of what may be his only time...He wishes he could think of it as nothing more than a horrible mistake, but a part of him stubbornly refuses to believe something that felt that RIGHT could be so very wrong. His gaze again falls on Todd, but he looks away quickly, praying Todd didn't notice the desperate pleading he's sure showed in his eyes.  
  
Todd waits for a response, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each second that passes. When he sees Kurt glance at him, though, he winces, mistaking the look in those golden eyes for regret. With a sigh, he stands up, self-consciously hugging himself, and makes his way towards the wall, ready to be rid of all this drama. But he stops and looks over his shoulder, apology etched into his features. "Sorry.." he mumbles. "None of this woulda happened if I hadn't gotten stoned, so.. just don't worry about it. Blame it on me and the drugs or something, 'kay?"  
  
Such a simple solution, so easy Kurt's sorely tempted to take it. But he made the decision long ago, that the blame wouldn't fall on one or the other, and it certainly wouldn't fall solely on the drugs. After all, Kurt was anything but stoned, though most likely nobody would believe his actions without that as an excuse. The sudden impulse to jump up and grab Todd's arm strikes him, but his body refuses to act on it. "It's not that easy, though I dearly wish it was. I made the choice, as much as you. Perhaps moreso," a bitter smile crosses his lips. "At least you were 'under the influence', ja? If either of us should have known better, it was me." He sighs, frustrated, runs his (relatively) clean hand through his hair again. "Look...if you really want to just...forget it...that's fine. No one will ever know. But..." he hesitates, chewing at his lower lip fretfully, "I just think we need to...take some time. Think about all this. That's all."  
  
Todd nods, remembering that he HAD given Kurt the opportunity to teleport away... not that any time wasn't opportune for someone with teleportation powers, but that was beside the point. The fact that Kurt didn't go meant that he must have really wanted it, and that thought both thrilled and frightened Todd at once. On one hand, someone actually WANTED him--HIM, for pete's sake--not to mention that it meant he probably had some 'mad skillz' in the pleasuring department, yo. On the other hand, however, Kurt was, well, KURT: a.k.a. Nightcrawler; noun - fuzzy, blue-furred, MALE member of the ENEMY group. Jesus. And yet... here he was, watching Kurt speak with that beautiful German accent he could have sworn he hated an hour ago, watching Kurt run one of those skillful hands through his hair, watching Kurt watch him with eyes that were filled with hunger and lust not so long ago.  
  
Todd blinks, realizing the other boy is now the one waiting for a response. "Uh...yeah. Yeah, man, we'll think about it" /in the shower and right before I go to bed, yo...fuck/ "and we won't let it happen again, right?" Nervous chuckle. "I mean, not that it would, dawg...'cause this was just a-a thing, you know? Yeah." Face, meet palm. God, what an idiot.  
  
Something wrenches deep in Kurt's gut at Todd's last words. It can't happen again, it just CAN'T, for so many obvious reasons. But damn it... 'You WANT it to happen again, don't you?' that snide part of his brain chides, and it's his own voice dripping with contempt and embarassment. He wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his tan pullover, fights back a sniffle, disgusted with himself all over again. "Yeah. ...Yeah, it wouldn't happen again...of course." It feels like someone's taken a particularly heavy gauge of sandpaper to his throat, and he's horrified to hear his voice crack slightly.  
  
Todd smiles, though it isn't genuine. "Good," he says--almost whispers--and clears his throat. "Good. So..." so... what? He looks at Kurt wiping his eyes and frowns. Was it supposed to be this difficult? The more he stalls, the more he wants to stay; the more he wants to stay, the more he knows he NEEDS to go or else this'll end up opening up another can of worms entirely and he just doesn't wanna go there. Not now. /Shit, not ever./ Something in the back of his mind disagrees, however, because somehow, emotions got involved here, and when emotions are involved... who knows what the hell will happen? "So... see you at school?" he ends, lamely.  
  
Kurt can't manage a response. Somewhere along the line his throat closed up completely, making breathing difficult and speaking impossible. Hating himself for even entertaining the thoughts he's having now (as much for the futility as for the immorality of it all), he takes one last look at Todd. It's a look filled with need and longing, hurt and anger. All but the last are things one should never show to an enemy, he knows, but he can't bring himself to care about showing weakness, not now. Showing little of his usual gymnast's speed or grace, he gets slowly to his feet, turns, and walks away with his hands in his pockets and his head bowed.   
  
Todd opens his mouth, but no words come out. What more could be said..? He heads in the opposite direction, leaps to the top of the wall, and glances back. "..see you at school, yo," he sighs, jumping down to the sidewalk below. Once on solid ground, he doesn't continue forward, instead leans against the wall, slowly sinking down. /Idiot,/ he scolds, banging the back of his head against the concrete. /Stupid--/ bang /fucking--/ bang /idiot./ BANG. "Ow.." Digging into his back pocket, he fishes out the bag of weed and glares daggers at it. "Fuck you," he says, but the pot doesn't respond, thankfully. He frowns; if Lance ever finds out that he stole (/borrowed without asking!/) some of his stash, he'd kick Todd's ass to the moon.. and if he ever finds out what Todd did while under the influence of said stash, well.. Todd doesn'twant to think about that. Instead, his thoughts try to piece everything together--what happened, why it happened, how he feels about it, and what should happen from here. His conclusion? "No. Fucking. Clue." 


	2. Scene 2: Kurt, Logan

8/26/03-Another scene, and now things start to get interesting... [sadistic grin] Kurt runs into someone he'd rather...not have run into. I play Kurt, and Bridgie plays an absolutely spectacular Logan! And before we get started, thanks for the reviews guys! Good to hear people are having fun ^_^. Now for your daily dose of Todd/Kurtness, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 2-  
  
Kurt waits until the wall is well out of sight, well out of ear-shot, before teleporting. Seconds later he 'bamfs' into existence in the institute's entrance hall. The building's quiet; he can hear a TV playing in the background, muffled voices, and nothing else. He's starving, heads towards the kitchen, but some of the voices get louder, laughter and talk echoing down the hall. Contact with anyone in the institute is the last thing he wants right now; sighing, he heads instead towards his room, too worn out and frustrated to 'port there.  
  
The halls are twice as long as usual, giving him far too much time for contemplation as he walks in the dim light. Panic chases fear chases longing around in his brain. Already, the events of the past hour or so are starting to feel surreal, as if a dream (nightmare?). Things he could've said, should've said, plague him, but not as much as the last Todd had to say. His throat feels tight again. He pauses in his reverie, finds himself outside the bathroom, and notices for the first time the state he's in. His jeans are covered in grass stains, his fur is matted with sweat (and something far more noticeable), his hand is still sticky, with a few creamy patches left on the sides, and he swears there's probably twigs stuck in his hair. His nose wrinkles. All he wants to do is sleep, but at the risk of running into anyone in the morning, on the way to the shower...  
  
With the students populating either end of the mansion, Logan occupies the den in solitude, slumped on the couch as he stares intently at the crackling fire before him, the only source of light in the room. He sits still, shadows dancing along the contours of his face, when suddenly a familiar odor mingled with something more foreign jars him from his thoughts, and he stands, claws extending instinctively.  
  
Slowly, he makes his way to the door and pushes it open without making a single sound, a skill perfected long ago. He prowls into the hallway, eyes narrowed and focused, ready to attack if need be, when his gaze falls upon a familiar figure at the other end of the corridor. Immediately, he stands up straight, claws detracted, face etched with curiosity and a hint of suspicion. "Kurt?"  
  
Kurt freezes at the sound, his mind paralysed with fear. 'Oh God, not him, anyone but him...' He fights the urge to teleport and turns; suspicions confirmed, he stumbles back a step, hands held placatingly out before him.   
  
Logan doesn't advance. He crosses his arms and takes in Kurt's disordered appearance: the grass stains, the disheveled and matted fur, the leaves and lord-knows-what-else inhabiting messy blue hair--the kid looks like he's either been in one mean brawl or.. something else. It's then that the foreign odor becomes more clear, more recognizable (and dear lord, more potent); it's one of the Brotherhood kids, he knows. The small one with the hygiene problem. But why..? "What the hell happened to you?" he asks, but his question is already answered when he sees the other stains adorning Kurt's jeans. Jaw tightens, fists curl, but otherwise, his countenance doesn't change; he wants to see what the kid says.  
  
"I...uh..." Kurt melts into the shadows, unintentionally, instinct taking over. Blood pounds in his ears, his brain seems to have frozen, and his heart's skipped more beats than is healthy. Logan knows, he can feel it deep in the ice settling in his gut. The central air suddenly comes on, and Kurt catches a whiff of the air that surrounds him. 'Mein Gott...' Swallowing hard, he tries to speak, not knowing what he intends to say but knowing silence would only implicate him further. "I, um, got into...a fight. Yeah. I ran into Todd-TOAD, at the...uh...the gas station, I felt like making a candy run before dinner and, uh..." he averts his eyes, stares instead at the toothbrushes in their cup on the sink. 'There's no way he's going to buy that!' his mind screams at him, but all he can do is choke back the whimpers that want to escape.  
  
Logan merely quirks an eyebrow. All right, he'll play this game. "The gas station on Seventh and Grand?"  
  
Kurt closes his eyes, breaths deep. "Yeah, that's the one. I...I had a major craving for some Almond Joy...all I could find was Goobers, though." His tongue trips over the word 'Goobers', and he nearly moans at how lame the whole thing sounds.  
  
Logan says, "Right. And where did the grass stains come from, again..?"   
  
'Beg for forgiveness, plead the fifth, anything, just do something!' his brain screams at him. He wonders if Xavier can hear it, thinks it would be a miracle if he couldn't, with how loud it sounded in his own head. Excuses race through his mind, not a single one he can use, and he finds himself grasping at them randomly in his panic. "They came from, uh, the park! I went to the park, you know, to eat the candy, and Todd-TOAD, er, Toad was there, he wanted to pick a fight..."  
  
Logan closes his eyes and sighs forcefully, brow furrowed, head shaking with distaste at the blatant lies spewing from the kid's mouth. Running a palm over his face, he sighs again, disappointed gaze falling on Kurt once more before he reaches for the door to the den and holds it open, looking at the student expectantly.  
  
Kurt's heart drops, landing somewhere in the vicinity of his shoes. 'Oh god...' Bile rises at the back of his throat, and he fights back a frustrated cry. After everything that'd happened that night, THIS just has to be heaped on top of it. Possible outcomes flash across his vision, most ending with him on the street or in a pine box; the expression on Logan's face seems to promise the latter. Steeling himself, Kurt enters the den, feeling Logan's eyes piercing his back as he walks in, and dreading the sound of the door closing behind him.  
  
Logan follows, shutting the door harder than necessary. "Sit," he barks, gesturing to the couch.  
  
Kurt winces at the door slamming, as if it were his death knell. Which, very likely, it is. He sits gingerly on the couch, vaguely noticing the mess his pants make on the upholstery.  
  
Logan makes his way around the couch and stops in front of Kurt, heavy footsteps pounding in the otherwise silent room (save for random crackles from the fireplace). Heaving another sigh, he sits on the table, falling into his usual slouch. The rank odor of sex (/and pot? Would he..?/) emanating from the boy attacks his senses, and that coupled with his dirty appearance is enough to make Logan shudder involuntarily. Why would Kurt take part in such things? With an ENEMY..? And TOAD, of all mutants! He thought the boy was much brighter than that. Determined to get to the bottom of this, his eyes seek out Kurt's, his gaze hard, his voice even harder. "What. Happened." he growls. A command, not a question.   
  
Kurt's already fried nerves finally give, just long enough for him to snap, "You seem to have a pretty good idea already, I don't know why you need me to fill in the details." The second the words leave his mouth he freezes, eyes bulging in fear. His hand flies to cover his mouth instinctively, and he steals a terrified glance at Logan.  
  
Logan is momentarily taken aback at Kurt's tone, but quickly shakes it off and glares at the boy before him. "Because the details are the important part, kid," he spits. "The why and the how. Now," he growls, enveloping Kurt's forearms in a firm grip, making sure the boy stays focused on him. "You can either tell me what the hell is going on or I can call Charles in here to pull it out of your mind! This isn't something I can brush off as teenage antics, Kurt." His grip loosens somewhat, but his gaze remains intense. "It's your call, bub."  
  
Blood rushes to Kurt's face. The rough hands squeezing his arms send a jolt of fear through his body, compounding the waves that were already there. He feels trapped, hunted into a corner (which makes sense considering who he's dealing with). All he wants to do is 'port to safety, but he knows there's no place he could be safe from Wolverine. He wonders over Wolverine's threat about the Professor, questions whether Xavier would violate his mind like that, and realizes he doesn't know the answer. For the first time he truly sees what his actions mean, how much of a threat can be implied by even the simplest of contact with a member of the Brotherhood. Whether Todd WOULD take advantage of...whatever might come of it...is beyond the point. That he could, that's the issue. Kurt suddenly feels sick.  
  
Logan looks at the boy expectantly, awaiting a response. "Well?" he asks. "What's it going to be, Kurt?"  
  
Kurt can't meet Logan's gaze. His voice sounds hollow to his own ears, and if emotion could kill, he'd probably be dead the minute he opens his mouth. "I...I ran into Todd, at dinnertime. He'd snuck onto the grounds, but he didn't seem like he meant any harm. He showed me some stuff he'd taken, asked me to help him get out. He was really confused...I led him to the wall. I figured he wasn't doing any harm, I couldn't just try to beat him up for no reason!" His voice raises in tone. Somehow it seems desperately important that Logan understands Todd's innocence. Well, innocence for the most part, anyway.  
  
Logan's brow arches worryingly at the mention of "stuff." It was obvious to him that Toad, the slimeball, had been high and the "stuff" in question was clearly weed. The only question still unanswered was whether or not Kurt had smoked any.. not that Logan was, by any means, pure in that regard, but to be fraternizing in such ways with the enemy..? Jesus, it would be like him and Sabretooth sharing a bong in an alley somewhere: it just. doesn't. happen. And the way Kurt is trying to defend the Toad--that's what worried Logan the most.  
  
Logan's expression isn't doing anything to soothe Kurt's nerves. It's almost a minute before he works up the strength to continue, and when he does his voice is even weaker than before. "When we got to the wall things started getting...weird. Todd...Toad, he..." he rubs his face roughly with his clean hand, ruffling his hair in the process, and growls. "He started saying things. I should've left then...I didn't. We...we kissed...things kind of escalated from there." He gazes at Logan again, still somehow more nervous for Todd than for himself. "We promised we wouldn't talk about it..." a tear finds its way down his dirty cheek, and he wipes it away angrily. "I gave him my word."  
  
Logan's gaze lingers for a while, letting the information sink in. Heaving a long, drawn out sigh, he removes his hands from Kurt's arms and closes his eyes, applying pressure to the bridge of his nose. So many situations could arise from this, and none of the ones he thought of had very positive outcomes. "How far did you go," he suddenly blurts out, hoping Kurt understands the reason behind the question. Toad was eons from being the epitome of personal hygiene; who knows if he's disease-ridden? Logan can't help but feel ill at the thought.  
  
Kurt's face flushes furiously, unnoticed under his fur, and his stomach turns to a lump of steel. Logan has to be the last person in the world he'd want to have this conversation with, and yet there's no way out of it. He fights back more frustrated tears. "We...we did a lot of," he chokes, coughs, "...a lot of touching. A lot. We didn't go...we didn't..." he can't finish the sentence, can only pray Logan gets the point. That inconceivable protective impulse takes him again. He holds his back a little straighter, wipes his cheeks with his filthy sleeve. "He didn't make me do anything...anything I didn't want to."  
  
Logan pats Kurt's grass-stained, denim-clad knee, nodding, eyes still closed. "Okay.. okay," he says, almost at a loss for words. He never imagined he'd have to have a conversation like this with someone.. in fact, he had hoped he'd never need to. Discomfort is weighing heavy on him, sensing from Kurt that the feeling is definitely mutual.. but these things have to be said. If the way Kurt was talking is any hint, then the boy is probably emotionally attached to..TODD..in some way, though Logan hopes his assumption is wrong. If it's not.. the repercussions of their actions would more than likely cause a lot of problems. This is DEFINITELY. Not. Good. Once again, he grabs Kurt by the arms and forces him to make eye contact. "It's not going to happen again, right, Elf?"  
  
Logan's eyes are boring into him, allowing no argument. His pride bucks at the command inherent in the words. He scowls, and looks at the fire. "Not if Todd has anything to say about it."  
  
Jaw tightened, Logan shakes Kurt in an attempt to bring the boy's focus back to him. He shakes a little rougher than intended, but offers no apology. "And what is THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
Kurt's jarred by the sudden aggression. For a moment he forgets where he is and who he's talking to. "Jeez, chill dude. Ow!" He wishes he could rub the kinks out of his neck but Logan's grip is tight and as unyielding as the man himself. "It means Toad didn't seem exactly pleased with our actions, once we'd done them." His voice drips bitterness, and the words are acid on his tongue.  
  
Logan's grip loosens, eyes soften, but still no apology is given. "And you?" he wonders, brows raised curiously.  
  
Kurt doesn't answer, can't answer; he's not even sure of the answer himself, but the majority of the possibilities he knows Logan doesn't want to hear. This time he meets Logan's gaze, holds it, knowing he'll probably be ripped apart for it.  
  
Logan has reached the end of his patience. With a feral growl, he stands up and starts pacing the den, his voice ripping through the air like a sonic boom, heedless of whether or not anyone else in the mansion can hear him. "So what, Kurt, you mess around with someone for a bit and suddenly you have feelings for them?!" He's not waiting for an answer. "There's a difference between lust and love, Elf! I thought you were smarter than this.. Do you honestly think he'll even REMEMBER what happened let alone start thinking about you any differently? Do you?! He was as high as a kite! Jesus.." He sits on the table again, though this time, he's on the other side, his back to Kurt. One hand is balled on his knee, the knuckles white; the other hand busy massaging his temples.  
  
Kurt's shock at the outburst wears off quickly as Logan's words sink in. He yells at Logan's back, "You weren't there, damn it! Don't think you can tell me what did and didn't happen! I'm no child Logan, I know what I'm doing!" Which he doesn't, really, but that's beyond the point. He jumps up, crosses the room to stand before the older, much more intimidating man. "You don't even have the slighest idea; do you know what I feel, Logan?! Fear. I'm afraid this," he gestures at himself, from pointed ears to catlike feet, "is going to keep me isolated. Forever. Nobody ever even wants to look at me, what are the odds there's someone that actually...that wants to..." With a scream of frustration he throws his hands in the air, then slumps back down on the sofa, unconsciously mimicking Logan's pose.  
  
Logan sighs, his muscles relaxing. He feels for the kid, he truly does, but not for one smidgen of a second does he believe Kurt knows what he's doing. "You're young," he says, as if that alone explains everything. "I know I can't identify with what you're going through now, but Kurt, Todd is not your answer, believe me. Think about it.." He glances over his shoulder, eyes pleading. "Really think about the kind of impact this could have, associating with Mystique's team. They always have an agenda, you KNOW that, and who's to say you won't end up being used? Do you want that?"  
  
"My loving mother is the one with the agendas," Kurt mutters, followed by a half-hearted curse. The uncharacteristic anger has faded somewhat, leaving him cold and frustrated. "They're probably just tools for her, anyway."  
  
Logan stands up and joins Kurt on the couch, trying to make eye contact. "Maybe they are, bub," he says, masking his internal disagreement. "But their loyalties--HIS loyalties lie with her, not with us.. not with you. Like I said, he's not your answer."  
  
"I didn't say he was!" Kurt shouts in Logan's face. He's sick of being told the one thing he doesn't want to hear, over and over again, and uncertain as to why that one thing hurts so much worse each time. "You're saying he shouldn't even be given a chance? I thought that was part of what we're fighting for, the right to repent. You wouldn't even offer him that?!"  
  
Logan shakes his head. "First of all, Charles already gave the kid a chance to join our side, and where did he end up? With Mystique, Kurt. That was his choice. Secondly," He looks at the boy pointedly, his expression laced with concern and--most of all--ardent solemnity, allowing little room for protest. "Think about how you'll feel next time you have to fight him." He allows a moment for the thought to sink in before continuing, "I know it'll be hard, Elf, but it's probably best that you try and forget what happened. Toad ain't the only one who's ever gonna--" /How do I put this..?/ "--pay that kind of attention to you."  
  
Kurt wants to argue, but can't. Everything Logan's saying makes sense, it's all what his more rational side has been trying to tell him all along. But emotions and common sense are two very different things. No amount of talk can change the thoughts that are storming through his mind, laying to waste some of his most crucial beliefs. But he doesn't have the strength to fight anymore, and from the look on Logan's face, there's no way he could win, were he to try. Defeated, he buries his face in his hands, not caring anymore how dirty they are; his whole body feels dirty right now, not to mention his mind.  
  
Logan tentatively places a (hopefully) soothing hand on the small of Kurt's back, unsure of what else can be said at this point. The kid has him worried, that's a given, but he's also starting to understand the pain he must be going through--having been ridiculed and feared your whole life just because of the way you look definitely justifies the concern and dread Kurt feels regarding that type of physical contact.. yet there are a lot of people in the world who can overlook appearances (/hell, a whole mess of them are right here in the Institute/), but to try and tell that to a distraught teenager..? Logan knows such an attempt is futile. The only thing he can do is hope that Kurt makes the right decision. "I know I can't control you, bub, and only YOU can decide what's right for you, but.. just promise me you'll think about what I said."  
  
Kurt nods, not trusting his voice anymore. He shies away from Logan's hand, though. He knows it's meant to be comforting, but in the aftermath of the night's events the thought of any sort of physical contact makes him cringe, heightens the longing still burning in his chest. He stands up, crossing the room towards the door. "We done?"  
  
Logan sighs. "Yeah," he says, voice betraying his concern. "Yeah, we're done." 


	3. Scene 3: Todd, Lance

8/27/03-Ah, now it's Todd's turn. Bridgie again plays Todd, of course, and I make an attempt at playing Lance. But before we start, I thought every few chapters I'd respond to the wonderful reviews you guys gave us ^_^. Chinese Elf, glad to hear we're introducing you to the pairing! We need all the Todd/Kurt fans we can get :D. And Logan's being mean to our beloved elf because, damnit, Bridgie and I are sadistic angst-mongers, heh. It gets much, much better from here XD. Omni, glad you're enjoying! I'm already promised to mah Bridgie, but thanks for the offer XD. Maxine-chan, there should be LOTS of chapters to this, don't worry about that. We're glad you're loving it so much! As for Todd and Kurt meeting up again, let's just say you don't have too long to wait, heh. Kiki, thanks for responding! We've been, um...doing this XD. Every moment we're not working or skooling or sleeping. Yep. It's addicting. Laureate, glad you found us over here! Everything posted to aff.net will eventually end up over here too ^_^. I've just been lazy doing my half :D. We're also posting on our respective Livejournals, (crimsonobsessor and idgieling) along with some mailing lists. And Dark, thanks, we plan to keep this going for a long while. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing so far, we hope this continues to entertain! Now, we return you to your regularly scheduled Todd/Kurt goodness...  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 3-  
  
Todd slams the door to the boarding house, as usual, careless as to whether or not anyone might be sleeping. Not that anyone around here slept at this hour, though. It's only, what, eleven o'clock on a Friday night? Freddie might be asleep, but the dullard sleeps like a log, and Pietro's probably off gallivanting somewhere.. and Lance.. well, he neglected to see if Lance's jeep was parked outside, but chances are the other boy was off (pardon the pun) pussyfooting around. Which is fine, 'cause Todd feels like being alone right now. Maybe take a shower.. tomorrow, that is. Instead, he steals into the kitchen and opens the refrigerator to find it much like his stomach: cold and empty. "Shit," he mutters, kicking out a chair from under the kitchen table and unceremoniously plopping onto it, raking dirty fingers through equally dirty hair. /Don't wanna think about food, anyway,/ he decides.  
  
Even though he tries everything in his being not to let them stray there, his thoughts mull over what happened earlier that night. He recalls everything that took place after his high wore off: can vividly see the pleasure etched on Kurt's face, feel the fur and sweat against his body, and taste the other boy's lips as if they still lingered on his own. He recalls everything with such amazing detail, and yet, it feels so surreal.. like it never happened, because he still can't believe that it DID. Digging the baggie out of his pocket, he throws it on the table, cursing at the culpable item under his breath. "It's all your fault, yo," he mutters.  
  
Lance is busy ransacking his room, looking for his missing weed, when he's interrupted by the slamming of the front door. Freddie's sleeping, and Pietro's dates sure wouldn't be done this early, which leaves only one person it could be. With a frustrated growl he decides to give up the search, for now, and heads downstairs to check on Todd. He finds the boy sitting at the kitchen table, which he expected. What he doesn't expect is the state he's in, disheveled, clothes covered in grass stains and leaves...or the baggie he has open on the table in front of him. "TOAD!"  
  
Todd practically falls out of the chair. Instinctively slamming a hand down on top of the baggie, he looks up, eyes as wide as saucers, to see Lance gawking at him. "Oh, h-hey, Lance!" Play it cool, play it cool. "'Sup, man?"   
  
The ground starts to shake, making Todd's chair wobble threateningly. "You little jerk, I've been looking for that stuff all night! Do you have any idea how much that shit cost? I oughta take it out of your hide!"   
  
Todd grabs the bottom of his chair as the ground shakes. When it's over, he laughs nervously and holds the bag out to Lance, eyes full of apology. "Stay cool, man, I didn't use much.." As he waits for the other boy to take the weed, he cringes, anticipating a fist in the face.  
  
Lance snatches the bag, runs a quick check of the contents, then cuffs Todd on the shoulder, hard enough to bruise. "Next time, ask." He glares at Todd, noticing again the condition he's in, and wonders what kind of antics a high Toad would get into. "What happened to you, anyway? Looks like it was an eventful trip."  
  
"Ow!" Todd cries out, clapping a hand over his shoulder, resisting the urge to give Lance a nice, hard kick in the shin. "Yeah, whatever.. sorry." Wincing, both at the pain and the question asked, he drops his gaze to his lap, thankful that his shirt covers his crotch so well, hiding the most distinct evidence of what happened tonight. Telling the thruth briefly crosses his mind (after all, Lance had done some strange shit when he was high), but he decides against it; he has no idea what Lance thinks of homosexuality (/Even though I'm NOT fucking queer../) and doesn't want to risk getting the shit beat out of him by one of his best friends. A hundred excuses then present themselves in his mind, and he grabs one randomly. "I, uh, I don't remember much of anything.." Lame. He hopes his voice sounded convincing, at least..  
  
Lance smirks. "Rookie. Seriously, you look like you got in a fight with a lawnmower. Who won?"  
  
Todd nervously rubs the back of his neck. "Um, seriously man, I don't remember anything.."  
  
Todd's obviously nervous, and Lance begins to wonder why. First time jitters, or something else entirely. Lance suspects he remembers more than he claims; he studies him again, taking in the mussed hair, leaves and twigs matted into it by sweat, the clothes, covered in dirt and grass stains, and his lowered gaze. Guilty, definitely, but of what? "Come on, man. You got in a fight didn't you? I mean look at you, what else could it have been. You've gotta remember some of it, you didn't smoke that much. So who was it? Did you kick some X-Geek's ass or what?"  
  
Todd snorts, a wry chuckle fleeing his mouth. "Somethin' like that.." And suddenly, a lightbulb goes off. "I mean.. yeah! Yeah, man, that's exactly what happened." He grins, mainly because it seems he's found a way out of this situation, but he figures Lance will take it as a sign of pride. "Shoulda been there, man. Todd Tolensky: X-Geek ass kicker extraordinare, yo!" He jumps to his feet, punching at the air, ignorant to the fact that his shirt rose slightly when doing so.  
  
Congratulations die on Lance's lips as Todd's sudden movements raise his shirt, revealing massive wet stains on his pants; stains entirely inconsistent with a fight. He raises an eyebrow, stares pointedly for a moment, then meets Todd's gaze. "Uh-huh. Looks like you got some ass all right."  
  
Todd stops, hands frozen in mid-punch. "H-huh..?" He blinks, following Lance's line of vision, down, down, down.. fuck.. Oh, fuck.. On impulse, he pulls the hem of his shirt down to cover the mess, slowly bringing his head up to see the other boy gazing at him, expression unreadable. Mouth dry, mind blank, he stares back, stomach quickly tightening. He's deathly afraid of what Lance will do next..  
  
Lance doesn't actually think Todd did anything more then relieve a little tension; he knows from experience that weed can have that effect. Then he sees the look in the other boy's eyes. "No. Fucking. Way."  
  
Todd instinctively takes a step back, raising one hand in defense (the other continues to hold his shirt down, as if hiding the evidence will somehow render everything untrue), legs tensed and ready to bolt if the situation calls for it. "I.." he trails off, unsure of what to say. Before, he was just confused, but now he suddenly feels guilty, though he's unsure why. A small part of him wants Lance to take a swing at him, punishment for.. for what happened.  
  
Grinning, Lance cuffs Todd on the shoulder again, this time playfully. "Way to go man! I can't believe it, you actually got laid! So who was the lucky girl?"   
  
Eyes wide, Todd shakes his head, blinks, shakes his head again, and wonders if he's either incredibly lucky or incredibly screwed. "Uh, g-girl? Oh.." Well crap. /C'mon, pick a random name... who do you have art class with?/ "Uh, Kitty--I MEAN, NO! Ah, fuck.." He mentally wills the ground to open up and swallow him whole, but even that's against him tonight.  
  
Lance's blood turns to ice in a heartbeat, and the ground begins to shake ominously under him. He suddenly wants nothing more than to beat the crap out of Todd until he admits to lying about it; he knows Kitty wouldn't, that the last person on earth she'd sleep with was Toad. Hell, Toad's just about the last person anyone would sleep with, and it takes all his willpower not to say so, not to attack him mercilessly. Focusing the full strength of his rage in his eyes, he stares Toad down. "What did you say?"  
  
Todd steps back until he hits the refrigerator, both hands shielding him now. "I didn't mean that, I swear! I was just.. her name just randomly popped into my head, okay, man?" What to do, what to do.. again, he considers telling the truth, but what consequence would THAT bring? /Probably nothin' as bad as what he woulda done if I'd really screwed around with his precious little miss pussy cat../ he thinks dryly, momentarily wondering where that thought came from. "Just forget about it, yo. The truth is.. the truth is there wasn't no lucky girl, so don't sweat over it.." /..or bash my head in./  
  
Lance tries to ignore the relief, for the sake of his curiousity. Anger forgotten already, he's now wondering just why Todd thought he had to lie. He didn't buy that there wasn't a girl, the guilty look on Todd's face was ironclad testimony to the fact that he'd been doing something with someone. Someone he didn't want Lance to know about. Lance frowns, and advances on Todd, towering over him as he cowers against the fridge. "Bullshit. There was someone else, you just don't want me to know who, do you? Why? What've you got to hide?"  
  
Todd drops his gaze, the dirty floor suddenly becoming very interesting. Damnit, why's Lance gotta push so much..? Why couldn't he have just been happy with Todd's earlier excuse of not remembering what the hell happened? Worrying his bottom lip, Toad figures what the hell: if he doesn't tell the other boy what's up, Lance'll probably beat it out of him, so he loses either way. /Story of my life,/ he gives a sardonic snort. /Always a lose-lose situation for the Toad./ "..itwasn'tagirl.." he mumbles.  
  
Lance frowns, thinking for a moment he heard wrong. Todd's voice is so quiet he can barely hear him. "Say what?" he asks, incredulous.   
  
Todd looks up, gaze falling heavily on Lance's. "It wasn't a girl." Jesus, his ears are burning.  
  
Lance is surprised, to say the least. He'd never imagined Todd was gay, not that he'd thought much about Todd's sex life at all. 'Come to think of it, what sex life? This is Todd we're talking about here. Mr. Shower-Once-a-Month himself. The words 'sex' and 'toad' don't exactly go together.' Maybe that was why; maybe Todd felt like he should just take what he can get, and not be picky. He regards Todd for a few moments, making sure to keep his expression neutral. "Okay...so who's the lucky guy?"  
  
Todd stares. Just... stares. "I.. who.. what?"  
  
"Who's...the lucky...guy. Jeez, you'd think I was speaking another language or something," he smirks, trying to put Todd at ease. "If you were expecting me to freak out, I'm not. You like guys, that's fine. As long as you don't try and feel me up," he moved to ruffle Todd's hair, "I've got no problem with it. I'm just curious as to who to thank for finally giving you some."   
  
Todd is at a loss. Relieved, definitely, but still at a loss. He'd expected some kind of negative reaction, if only a disgusted sneer, but.. nothing. Some miniscule part of him is disappointed, and he doesn't understand why. Has his mind suddenly up and gone all masochistic without letting him know? Fucking punk. "I don't like guys," he responds, quick and defensive, almost insulted that Lance would suggest such a thing. "I'm not a fucking queer, man. And what the hell, feel you up? Shit, who was the one groping my ass last week when he was high, yo?" That thought, coupled with thoughts of Kurt earlier, causes little tingly sensations in his groin and he mentally bashes his brain with a large, metal hammer--the side you use to pull nails out. /What the hell? Not. Fucking. Queer./  
  
"No need to get pissy, man. There's nothing wrong with it. Gay, bi, whatever. No point in denying it though, it's stupid to do that to yourself. You can't be happy when you're repressing shit like that." Lance determinedly ignores the line about him doing the groping; when you're that high, lots of people look appealing, even one of your best friends. He grins another toothy grin. "Now. About my last question."  
  
Todd frowns, glaring daggers at Lance. "Not denying anything, damnit, I ain't a fruit." Folding his arms, he pushes past Lance, making a beeline for the living room. "And to answer your last question," he spits, perching himself on the couch, feeling around for something under the cushions. "It ain't none of your business, fool. Where the hell is the remote?"  
  
"Oh no no no, you don't get out of this that easily." Lance follows him into the den, sitting promptly on the cushion Todd has his hand under, in an attempt to trap him. "Not-fruits don't do that," he points at Todd's pants, "with guys. You've gotta at least be bi. And I think it IS my business who it was with, because I said it is, and I own your ass."  
  
"Hey, fuck you!" he growls, unsuccessfully trying to pull his arm out from under the cushion. "You gaining weight, man? I can't feel my hand under your fat-ass." Cringing, he bites the inside of his cheek, hoping to God that Lance doesn't make some stupid gay quip about Todd's hand feeling his ass.  
  
"You just wish there wasn't a cushion there, admit it," Lance ruffles Todd's hair roughly. "And no matter how many times you try to change the subject," he reaches over to stick his hand between the next cushions, pulls out the remote and holds it out to Todd, smirking. "I'm gonna keep asking. So why don't we just get it over with now and save ourselves a lot of unnecessary nagging?"   
  
Todd grumbles, pulling away as Lance ruffles his hair. He yanks his hand out from under the cushion the other boy is sitting on and pouts, eyes narrowed, and brow furrowed. Snatching the remote, he stubbornly folds his arms and glares in the direction of the blank television. "Hey, it ain't anyone you know all that well, so what's it matter, man? It was just a stupid, one-time thing.. it was the fucking weed's fault, anyway."   
  
Lance's smile falters. Todd's reluctance is starting to worry him; he looks on Todd almost as a little brother, and they've usually got no problems being open with each other. He tries to maintain a casual tone. "If it's no one I know, shouldn't be such a big deal then, right? Come on, spill it, or I'll have to beat it out of you." He cuffs Todd on the shoulder for good measure.   
  
Todd winces, grabbing his already injured shoulder. "Hey man, watch it.." Worrying his bottom lip, he sets the remote aside, TV forgotten, and plays with the hem of his shirt, eyes downcast. "It's just.. I dunno, man, I don't really wanna think about it right now," /yeah, even though it's all I CAN think about/ "...so just forget about it for a while, yeah?" He looks at Lance hopefully.   
  
Now Lance knows something's wrong; it's not often Todd's serious, it's not in the boy's nature. Or at least, it's not in his nature to show it. Sarcastic, yes, angry, yes, goofily romantic even, in his own strange fashion. But serious, rarely. Lance puts a hand on Todd's shoulder, trying for comforting. "Dude, is something wrong? Did he do something to hurt you? Because if he did..."   
  
"No, no, no!" He shakes his head, waving his hands in a negative gesture. "Nothin' like that, yo.." He casts a glance at the hand on his shoulder, his skin warming at the touch, and he briefly wonders what it would be like if Lance--"Nothin' like that," he repeats, slowly removing the hand, cursing his thoughts, cursing the weed.. cursing Kurt. "..this's fucked me up for life, yo.." he mumbles, once again fiddling with the end of his shirt. He glares at his pants, at all the stains--grass and other things--and sighs.   
  
Lance sighs. "Listen. I'm not gonna press you, man. You don't want to talk, it's your business. But don't just dismiss the idea that it might help. Talking can have a surprising effect."   
  
Todd nods, unsure of what to say.. "Yeah. Thanks, man.." He stares down, watching his hands fiddle with the shirt, his thoughts turning around the idea of pressing the issue further, despite how hard he's been fighting against it. The truth is there are a lot of things he's confused about, but is Lance the person to talk to..? And even so, could he talk about it without naming names? He bites the inside of his cheek, already regretting the words about to leave his mouth. "Do you think.. I mean.. what does this mean? I.. I don't like guys.. not like that.."   
  
"Got a funny way of showing it, man," Lance smirks. "Nothing wrong with experimenting though. Everybody does it eventually."  
  
Todd's eyebrow quirks, gaze still not meeting Lance's. "Does what, yo? Experiment..?"  
  
Lance shrugs. "Sure. Everyone experiments sometimes. People are curious, right? Never can tell what you like until you've tried it. Eventually you'll find what's right for you and leave the rest behind."  
  
"Ah.." Cheeks burning, Todd wonders why he said anything at all. He knew damn good and well where this conversation would go, but he didn't expect Lance to be so CASUAL about it, as if he's speaking from experience.. and that thought makes Todd freeze, mouth drying instantaneously. He chances a quick glance in Lance's direction before focusing his attention on a random spot on the wall ahead of him. "Um.." /Don'tsayit, don'tsayit, don'tsayit/ "Have you..?" /D'oh./?  
  
Lance is caught off guard by the question. Mentally he smacks himself. 'You start talking about that and you don't expect him to ask? You're more naive than he is,' his mind sneers. Suddenly nervous (it's one thing to be talking about your friend's sex life, entirely another to be talking about your own), he averts his eyes from Todd's, and stares instead at the ceiling. "Well..."   
  
Todd tips his head to the side, eying Lance curiously. "Well..?" he asks. "Well what?" A sly grin wants to play on his lips, but--being the shaky ball of nerves that he is--the attempt only scores a twitching cheek.  
  
"Well..." Lance heaves a frustrated sigh and glares at Todd. "Man that doesn't matter, aren't we supposed to be talking about YOUR 'experiments'?"  
  
Todd frowns, clearly disappointed, and goes back to staring at the wall, arms now folded across his stomach as he slouches against the sofa. "Yeah, whatever," he sighs. "Where were we, anyhow?" The blood rushes to his face once again, as he realizes where said blood was heading seconds ago, and--for the second time tonight--thanks whatever deity is out there that he wears a long shirt. Ah, to be a teenaged boy brutally attacked by the effects of puberty..  
  
Lance grins mischievously, hoping it'll cover his lingering unease. "You were about to tell me who you did it with."  
  
Todd shoots a glare at Lance that speaks volumes, and it says: Fuck. You. "Fuck you," he relates. "I was not!" Growling, he hops to his feet, gripping his hair at the roots, and begins pacing the room, nerves frayed to the tips.  
  
"Look, you really wanna know who it is, man?" he all but shouts, aware of what a mistake this will be, but.. someone needs to know. Someone needs to tell him what to do, because he hasn't got a fucking clue. "You gotta promise me, PROMISE me that you won't beat the shit outta me! Or.. or maybe you should, because, god, this is so fucked up, man.."  
  
"Whoa, Todd, chill out man!" The sudden outburst has Lance immediately on edge. He jumps off the couch to stand in front of Todd, trying to catch his eye. "I promise, okay? Whatever you need to say, I'm listening." He tries to smile reassuringly, and mentally kicks himself when his tone comes out uncertain, almost pleading. "It can't be THAT bad...right?"  
  
Todd stops in front of Lance and groans, closing his eyes after meeting the other boy's gaze. "It's bad, yo.. it was one of the.." He trails off, unable to complete the sentence. Maybe Lance will catch on..? Inwardly, he laughs at the idea; Lance catching on to anything is quite doubtful.  
  
Lance wants to growl in frustration. Impatience and curiousity are getting the better of him, and he snaps a little too harshly, "One of the what, man? Little more info needed here."  
  
Good old Lance. Good old, rocks-for-fucking-brains Lance. "It was one of the fucking X-Geeks, okay?!"  
  
For a moment Lance finds it hard to breath, let alone think. He wants to believe it's one of Todd's lame jokes, but the mixture of fear and defiance on his face says otherwise. Still, he refuses to accept, glowers at Todd and snaps, "Oh ha ha, very funny. Seriously dude, who was it?"  
  
Todd remains quiet, face downcast. Nothing can be said in this situation, and his only options are to play off of Lance's apparent denial or simply repeat what he already said. Either way, both choices lead to the same end in Todd's mind: himself as a bloody heap on the floor.. so he opts to say nothing, which probably isn't much better.  
  
Todd's silence can only mean one thing, and after a few moments of it Lance's mouth falls open. "No. Fucking. Way." His feet move of their own accord, and he finds himself pacing restlessly in front of Todd, rubbing at the headache starting behind his eyes. "You're not serious, you can't possibly..." He rounds on Todd suddenly, trying to control the urge to shout. "WHO, Todd, who was it?"  
  
Todd winces at the tone of Lance's voice, hearing the supressed anger behind his words. /Oh well,/ Todd's mind chimes in. /You've already dug your grave and even lied in it; may as well shut the coffin and get it over with./ With a sigh, he settles himself on the couch once more, burying his face in his hands, wondering how to go about this. "..it was.." Kurt? The name sounds too foreign, never having actually said it before.. well, except earlier that night during a flurry of sighs and gasps and moans, a thought which simultaneously makes Todd want to bash his head into a wall and hump the nearest object.. but considering that Lance was watching him, humping the nearest object was bad. Unless it somehow involved Lance, too, but--/Derailing that train of thought NOW./  
  
Nightcrawler also sounds a bit odd to him, so he decides to settle on: "..the fuzzy one." His face burns immediately, and he covers it up with his hands as much as possible.  
  
Lance stops pacing to stand before Todd. He can't decide whether to cross his arms and glare at the boy, bash his fists into his own forehead a few times, or throw Todd through the door. With a frustrated 'ARGH!' he throws his hands in the air. "At least it wasn't Summers," he shudders at the thought, "but Jesus, Todd! Out of all of them you had the sudden urge to go fuck that freak?! What were you thinking?!"  
  
Todd cringes, throwing his hands up defensively as he sinks as far back into the couch as possible. "I didn't- I didn't FUCK him! I just.. we just--FUCK, Lance, I wasn't thinking clearly, man!" In the back of his mind, he fumes about the 'freak' comment, though he isn't sure if it's because he realizes he and Kurt aren't all that different and Lance calling Kurt a freak is like Lance calling HIM a freak, or.. if it's just Lance calling Kurt a freak that irks him.. Either way, he bites back any remarks he might have in lieu of anticipating any of the sudden blows he's sure will come.  
  
Lance exclaims, "Obviously! God, do you realize what kinda trouble this could cause Todd? If he tells anybody we'll have the entire mansion worth of losers right on our asses, trying to defend his precious honor or some shit like that. What the fuck!" He throws up his hands and goes back to pacing furiously, having to truly fight back the urge to slap some sense into the other boy. The ground rumbles slightly along his path.  
  
Todd frowns, jaw tightening. "I KNOW, man! You think I haven't already thought about that or what?! Damnit.." Fear forgotten, he slumps forward and rakes his fingers through his hair, brushing out a few leaves along the way. "So what the fuck do I do, yo? I can't fucking change it.."  
  
Lance pauses, unconsciously mimicking Todd's gesture. "Fuck, man, I don't know. Do you think he'll keep quiet about it? If he does, I mean," he glances at Todd, feeling slightly guilty without knowing why, "I guess you could just pretend it never happened, right? Nobody else would have to know."  
  
Todd nods, fingers now massaging the sides of his head. "He said nobody'd ever know. And as big'a pussies as those X-Geeks are, I don't think they go back on their words, y'know?" Chewing his bottom lip for a moment, he considers Lance's other question, remembering that he himself had suggested something very similar to Kurt. "Yeah.." he says, voice low, almost distant. "Yeah, I said the same thing, but.." He pauses and shakes his head, realizing just how easier said than done that advice was. "..I don't think I can do that."  
  
"You what?" Lance studies Todd's suddenly solemn face carefully, and doesn't like what he sees. "What's that supposed to mean Todd?" Silently his brain adds a desperate, 'Please God don't let it mean what I think it means.'  
  
Todd's head suddenly snaps up and he glowers at Lance. "Fuck, I needa spell it out for you?! It means I don't think I can do that! Take it however the hell you want!" Again, he's on his feet, pacing out a short path in front of the sofa, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, pulsing with nervous energy. "D'you think YOU'D be able to pretend something like that didn't happen?! What if you- what about- with Kitty- ARGH!" Resisting the urge to punch a hole in the wall, he instead kicks the coffee table, using more strength than he intended, though he doesn't even flinch when the table slams into the base of the TV, cracking the corner of the screen.  
  
Facing away from Lance, he deeply breathes in and out, trying to calm his nerves. A detached part of his mind hopes the other boy DOES take a swing at him--a fight would be a wonderful way to release some energy and distract his thoughts from certain things. Of course, those 'certain things' would probably be just as good a way to work off some energy, but--but--he just needs to STOP thinking entirely. This frustration is going to cause him a nervous breakdown, and that's the LAST state he wants Lance to see him in..  
  
Lance knows his jaw must've hit the floor at some point, but all he can register now is Todd's uncharacteristic rage and his own mess of confusion, guilt, and anger. Blindly he grabs onto the first response to present itself.  
  
"You leave Kitty out of this, damn it! It's not like that with us!" He's overwhelmed with the urge to get back at Todd, for even mentioning Kitty in the midst of all this and for getting him into this situation in the first place (disregarding all the nagging he did to get Todd to talk). "And even if it was, she wouldn't just sleep with anybody without being with them for a while. She's not a slut...unlike some people."  
  
Todd's breath catches in his throat and his muscles tighten. Lance didn't just--he wouldn't have--did he just call him a slut? Of course, he briefly entertains the thought that Lance may have been referring to Kurt, but Todd doesn't fancy that notion much more than the other. Fists clenching once more (though, this time, they stay that way) he grits his teeth, wanting to jump Lance right then and there, but still too shocked to act accordingly. Blood boiling, he slowly turns around, face neutral, eyes steady, voice calm. "What did you just say?"  
  
A voice deep in Lance's mind screams for him to repent, to say he didn't mean it and calm down before they both do things they'll regret. His eyes narrow and he straightens to his full height, towering over Todd. "Messing around while you're high is one thing. Fucking one of your worst enemies while he's under the influence is something else entirely."  
  
Todd also straightens to his full height, bringing him to the impressive height of.. just under Lance's chin, damnit. Regardless, his stance is unwavering and he looks Lance in the eye, glaring daggers. "First of all," he begins, voice still eerily calm. "Nobody fucked anybody. And secondly," He pauses, jaw tightening slightly, hands beggining to shake. "The weed wore off half way through and I knew exactly what I was doing, so you might as well call me a fucking slut, too, Lance."  
  
Lance grabs Todd's shoulders and shoves him back. "Why're you defending him?! He's just another stupid fucking X-Geek!! Those guys're all the same! Do you really think he's having these same thoughts about it? He's probably so ashamed he already wishes it was some nightmare. Guys like them don't like guys like us!"  
  
Todd stumbles, but manages to stay on his feet. Growling, he darts forward and pushes Lance back, happy to finally be doing something with his twitchy hands. "I'm not fucking defending him, man! And what the hell, 'another stupid fucking X-Geek'?! Can't the same be said for Kitty?! Oh wait, I forgot.." He pauses, extending his hand in a purposely effeminate manner, flipping his hair back. "The situation with your precious little kitten is entirely different.."  
  
Lance shoves him again, harder this time. The ground beneath them begins to shift, imperceptible except to Lance. "I warned you once before, man. Lay. Off...Your little boyfriend's a far cry from Kitty. He probably only did it because nobody else would touch his furry ass."  
  
This time, Todd does fall back, his balance thrown off by the shaking ground below. His look of defiance remains, however, and in fact darkens as soon as Lance's words are spoken. "Everything's a far cry from Kitty to YOU, man.." he mumbles bitterly, though it's loud enough for Lance to hear if he chooses to acknowledge it. "And did you ever think," he continues, louder, voice cracking just a tad. "That maybe *I* did it for the same reason?"  
  
"Fuck, Todd! Is that supposed to be a valid excuse for sleeping with the enemy?! There's nobody else? Bullshit. There's always somebody else, you just have to find 'em. What do you think's gonna happen next time we fight, huh? Hell, you and the fuzzball always ended up beating the crap out of each other before now, what the fuck happened?!"  
  
On the verge of meltdown, Todd receives mixed feelings and jumbled commands from his brain: he wants to rip Lance's throat out, but can't stop his body from shaking enough to stand; he wants to tell the other boy to go fuck himself, but realizes that doing so in his current state would be like suicide; he wants to curl into a ball and cry, but will willingly die before he lets anyone (especially Lance) see him do a thing like that. So what is he supposed to do? "Fuck, I don't know, man!" he shouts, the waver in his voice betraying the hurt he felt. "I've already asked myself the same things a million fucking times over! I don't know what the hell I was thinking, man, it just.. fucking.. HAPPENED. I can't make it go away, so what am I supposed to do, huh? Enlighten me, dawg, PLEASE."  
  
Lance opens his mouth to respond, only to find nothing wants to come out. What CAN Todd do? It's happened, nothing's going to change the fact that it's happened, and as much as he now wishes he hadn't, Lance got himself involved. Confusing as Todd's behavior is, the boy's still like a brother to him, and he realizes he doesn't want to hurt him. Not like this. Not like he's obviously doing, apparent in Todd's wavering tone and shaking hands. Slowly his anger deflates, leaving him feeling hopelessly lost, not a fraction of the leader he's supposed to be. He sighs, turns away and runs a hand through his hair roughly, hoping to buy a few moments to think. And all he knows now is...   
  
"Man, I just...I don't know. I wish to God I did." He turns back, fixing Todd with a gaze he hopes conveys apology. "I didn't mean to ride you like that. It's just...This could bring down a whole mess of trouble, and I don't want to see you stuck in the middle of it."  
  
Todd nods, muscles relaxing slightly, though his hands still tremble every few seconds. As he bows his head, the last of his anger escapes with a shaky sigh and he suddenly hopes that Lance will go away soon because he's not sure how much longer he can last before he rips his hair out in frustration and starts bawling like a baby. "I know it can, yo," he pauses to take a breath, still trying to calm his nerves. "But you ain't gonna say anything, right..? It can't cause that much trouble if everyone just keeps their mouths shut. And as for me getting stuck in the middle of it," He lifts his head up and smiles, though it clearly isn't genuine; more like a mask for the anxiety he's feeling. "That's my problem, foo'. It's got nothing to do with you, so just don't worry about it."  
  
Lance gives a half-hearted smirk, trying to retain some semblance of normalcy in the midst of it all. "It is my problem dude. Don't you listen? I own your ass, therefore it's my problem too." He starts to lay a hand on Todd's shoulder, before realizing the gesture may be less-than-appreciated under the circumstances, and pulling back reluctantly. "Your secret's safe, man. Don't worry about it. You just...you might wanna watch your back for a while, huh? Pietro's good at weaseling out the seemingly impossible secrets, and you can't be certain that the fuzzball-" he glances guiltily at Todd, and decides to drop that particular line. "It still seems like it'll be best for everybody if we just let it go, you know? Just think about it, okay?"   
  
Just think about it. Second time Todd's gotten that advice tonight, and it isn't any better this time around. He told Kurt he'd think about it--think about what to do next, what it all meant, but he didn't even know where to start. He'd ran the whole situation through his head more times that he'd like to admit, and he still isn't any fucking closer to solving the big 'what now' mystery.. and now Lance wants him to think about letting go of the whole experience. How the hell can you let go of something like that..? Maybe pretend to forget about it, but.. Todd isn't so sure he wants to do that. He isn't sure what he wants at all. /What the fuck have I gotten myself into..?/ "Yeah. Yeah, I'll think about it, man.."   
  
Deciding it's best to just leave Todd be, for now, Lance turns toward the stairs with a sigh. "I'll be upstairs, if you need to talk about...anything else." As he walks he pulls the long-forgotten plastic bag out of his pocket and stares helplessly at the contents. "After that, I need some of this."  
  
Todd frowns at Lance's retreating form, half relieved to be alone, while the other half wishes for.. well, he isn't sure. Mainly wishing for Lance, he supposes; Lance's presence, Lance's voice.. but with everything that's happened, coupled with the disturbing thoughts he's recently been having everytime the other boy lays a finger on him, he decides being alone is best right now. Sighing, he lets himself fall back, further dirtying the floor with his muddy, stained clothes as he sprawls out on the carpet, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts turn in his head, trying to make sense of things, working hard to fit pieces of this screwed up jigsaw puzzle together, but he doesn't get very far before sleep begins clouding his mind. As his vision is shrouded in darkness, his last conscious thought is: what the hell is school going to be like on Monday? 


	4. Scene 4: Todd, Kurt, Lance, Pietro

8/28/03- More! More! More! This scene was fun to write, heh... I play Kurt and Lance, Bridgie plays Todd and Pietro (good night how I love her Pietro [snicker]). Thanks for all the great reviews! We now return you to your regularly scheduled Todd/Kurt goodness, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 4-  
  
Kurt shifts restlessly on the bench at lunch, trying not to zone out on Scott's voice, and failing miserably. Guiltily, he catches his gaze drifting again, falling for the dozenth time on the Brotherhood boys lounging against one of the skool buildings. As they have been for, well, the entire weekend, his thoughts are focusing themselves involuntarily on Todd. And despite all the contemplation he's no less confused than he was the moment this all began.   
  
Kurt can't take it anymore. His instinctual attempts to make eye contact in the halls and involuntary fixation whenever Todd's in view is driving him crazy. He watches the Brotherhood members closely for a few minutes. Pietro's talking animatedly to Lance; or at least, talking to himself while Lance happens to be in the vicinity. Freddie's hanging back, listening with a slightly bored look on his face, and Todd...Todd's crouching to the side, only close enough to still be considered part of the group, his eyes drifting...they make eye contact almost immediately, and Kurt nods to the side, hoping Todd will take the hint and follow him behind one of the buildings. But Todd's already looking away, and Kurt curses softly under his breath.   
  
'That's it.' Kurt sneaks away from the table, thankful none of his friends noticed, and hurries over to the buildings, keeping the Brotherhood boys in sight. As soon as he's far enough from the eyes of the students milling around he 'ports, reappearing just around the corner of the building where they're hanging out. Steeling himself (and making sure the Pietro and Lance are suitably distracted) he creeps forward. Reaching Todd quickly, he pulls on the other boy's sleeve to get his attention and whispers, "We need to talk."  
  
Head lazily being propped up by his hand, Todd vacantly eyes a pesky little fly buzzing around his hair as he halfheartedly listens to Pietro babble on about something or other. Most of his mind is focused on Kurt, however: the furtive glances they've been sharing all morning and the fact that he's still no closer to being any less confused. Biting the inside of his cheek, he chances a quick look at the X-Geeks table and notices that Kurt is nowhere in sight. Now where could he have--"Shit!" He whirls around to see golden eyes staring back at him, framed by a flesh-toned face and indigo hair. "Don't do that!" Todd snaps, pulling away. He decides to fix his gaze on anything but Kurt and settles on Lance's shoe. "Anyway, can't it wait, yo? I'm kinda, eh.. busy right now."  
  
Noting that the background noise has become decisively thinner, he glances up to see Pietro watching him from the corner of his eye and he cringes. This day's gonna go from all right to bad to fucking awful in a matter of seconds, he can feel it.  
  
Lance is surprised out of his current bored stupor by the sudden absence of Pietro's voice. He looks up with a start, glancing around warily...until his eyes come to rest on Todd, and the Fuzzball who happens to be crouching beside him. His lip curls, showing teeth. His voice, when he speaks, is underlaid with danger. "Todd?"  
  
/Yep, 'all right' to 'bad,'/ Todd mutters inwardly, shifting his gaze from Pietro to Lance. He grins sheepishly. "Lance?"  
  
Lance raises an eyebrow. "Got a problem? Need any...help?"  
  
Todd scratches his head and briefly looks at Kurt, who's being unusually quiet, and shrugs. "Er, no, I'm, eh.. I've got it under control, man." He suddenly wishes he had some sort of psychic power so he could mentally will Kurt away.. he tries to do it anyway, and fails quite miserably. Sigh. Yeah, Lance's shoes are really interesting to look at. Has that mud spot always been there?  
  
Meanwhile, Pietro glances from Todd to Kurt to Lance and does one more go around, folding his arms across his chest. He pouts as his eyes finally settle on Lance, brow quirked curiously. "Am I missing something here? 'Cause it really feels like it." His frown deepens. He hates being left out, damnit.  
  
"Nothing you need to worry about, Pietro." Lance advances on Todd and Kurt, ignores Todd and fixes Kurt with an icy stare. "I think it's in everyone's best interests for you to just back off, fuzzy."  
  
Kurt refuses to be cowed, despite Lance's intimidating stance and the anger coming off him in spades. "I had thought that was for Todd to decide," he snaps, then turns his attention to Todd. "Or am I mistaken?"  
  
In a blur, Pietro pushes himself off the wall and scowls at the scene, arms akimbo. Damned if he's not gonna get to the bottom of this. He focuses his glare on Kurt, noting the small things that only someone as innately perceptive as he could catch, such as the X-Geek's obvious distaste for Lance, the more benign way he addresses Todd, and his obvious lack of fashion sense. Are those boxers peeking over the top of his pants..? Pietro shudders.  
  
Todd presses himself as far against the wall as he can, shrinking under the gazes of Kurt and Lance. Throw Pietro into the mix and, damnit, why can't the ground just open up and swallow him now..? "I, uh.." Geez, it's getting hot. Sighing, he turns his attention to Kurt, looking anywhere but his eyes. "So, about that talk.." Anything to get out of this situation. He stands up, shoves his hands into his pockets, and very lightly kicks at Kurt's ankle with the toe of his shoe. "C'mon, fuzzy." He turns to Lance. "Um.. I'll be back."  
  
Kurt, still angry, debates pressing the issue with Lance first. But the fur on the back of his neck starts to bristle, and he looks around to find Scott's shades trained intently on his back. Mouth suddenly dry, he turns back to Todd, suddenly anxious to be out of sight. "Talking is good, yes."  
  
"Todd..." Lance warns, still towering over the Fuzzball.  
  
Cringing at the warning in Lance's voice, Todd dismissively waves his hand. "It'll be all right, yo," he says, grinning meekly and nudging Kurt in the opposite direction, eyes trained on Lance the whole time. "I'll be back, man."  
  
Pietro doesn't like this. Not one bit. Tapping his foot impatiently, he waits for the two younger mutants to leave so he can drag some much-needed information out of Lance.  
  
Kurt allows himself to be led away, trying to ignore the fact that each time Todd nudges him his skin tingles at the contact. His last impression of the rest of the Brotherhood is Lance's stony (no pun intended) face, and he wonders that, in Todd's presence, Lance's obvious rage doesn't scare him...  
  
Eying the two as they leave, Pietro waits until they're out of hearing range before he turns his attention to Lance, expression filled with annoyance. He cuffs the other boy on the shoulder and grumbles, "Spill it."  
  
"No can do, man." Lance swats at Pietro's hand, inwardly cringing. Mr. Hyperactivity is the last person he'd trust with Todd's secret and, unfortunately, the one who'll try the hardest to get it. He sighs. "Just let it drop. It'll be over soon enough anyway." 'I hope.'  
  
Pietro frowns, eyes darting quickly around the campus. When he's satisfied that none of the 'normal' students are watching him, he spins himself into a whirlwind and zips back and forth in front of the other boy. "Well, if you're not gonna tell me," he begins tauntingly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Then I guess I'll just have to run over there and listen to their conversation, hmmm? I'm sure they'd never notice."  
  
Instinctively Lance grabs at his arm, and is not surprised in the least when he misses. "Pietro, no. This isn't a game, man. This is some serious shit, don't mess it up for him now. He's got it bad enough without us interfering."  
  
Pietro stops, blinks, and darts to Lance's side, his face the epitome of curiosity. "He's got what bad? What's so serious about it? Is that X-Geek giving him trouble, because if he is, I'll kick is sorry blue butt all the way back to Germany before he can say 'wienerschnitzel,' man. Don't they know by now not to mess with the Brotherhood?" The other boy doesn't even have a chance to respond before Pietro's attention zips back to Todd and Kurt, glaring daggers at the latter. "ManIhatethoseguys.." he mutters, voice swift with agitaion.  
  
Lance rolls his eyes. The protectiveness is almost cute. Almost. "Just...let Todd take care of it himself. If he needs us he'll ask for help. Until then we should just back off." 'And pray to whatever god will listen that he can handle this,' he adds as a silent afterthought. "Of course, if he DOES ask for help..." he eyes the retreating figures, focusing on Kurt's dark blue hair. His right hand curls into a fist, and pounds against the palm of his left threateningly. "Soon as he says the word, we make Fuzzy's life a living hell."  
  
Pietro grumbles, still upset about not knowing what's going on.. "Fine, I'll drop it." For now, anyway. He smirks in Todd's direction and makes note to corner him later; the little mutant certainly talks the talk, but fails miserably when it comes time to walk the walk. Getting information out of him is never a difficult task. "In the mean time.." His eyes glint mischievously as his gaze falls on the X-Geeks' table, or more specifically, Evan Daniels. "I owe someone a swirly. Seeya, Alvers!" A quick mock-salute and Pietro's gone in a flash. The next thing Lance sees is a blurry, flailing Evan shrieking as he's whisked off into the boy's bathroom.  
  
Chuckling, Lance goes back to surveying the grounds, stopping to glare at the X-Geeks for principle's sake. He's not convinced for a moment that Pietro's going to just give up. He hopes Todd's got the sense (not to mention the balls) to keep his mouth shut when Pietro starts trying to worm the info out of him. For that matter, he hopes Todd's telling the freak off at this moment. He glances in the direction they walked off, as if expecting to see the Fuzzball come running, crying like some bitch that just got dropped by her boyfriend. But the guilty look on Todd's face as he left...Lance scowls, and makes himself a promise. Todd's not going to be hurt by this. He'll do what it takes to prevent that, to protect the boy...even if it means protecting Todd from himself.  
  
____  
  
Kurt leans against the outside wall of the science lab, running a hand through his hair nervously. The building's rough exterior is warm at this time of day, and it soothes him, if only a little. He's thankful for the silence at least; during lunch everyone's either in the cafeteria or eating on the other side of the campus.  
  
Coming back to himself, Kurt steals a guilty glance at Todd. This isn't going to be easy. "I'm sorry, about what happened back there. I don't want to cause trouble, I just...I had to talk to you."  
  
Todd glances over his shoulder, sees that Lance is no longer in sight, and worries his bottom lip. Half of him wanted to keep the other Brotherhood member in view, just in case something (though, he wasn't sure what--getting into a fight, possibly) happened, but that isn't really an option unless he wants to make a fool of himself. /"Fuzzy boooy, can we go back to the lunch tables so Mama Lancie can keep an eye on us? I scared, yo."/ Todd shudders and shakes the thought out of his head. Yeah, right here is fine.  
  
Nervously scratching his pantleg, he takes a deep breath and releases it in a long, drawn-out sigh, determined to play it cool. "What's to talk about, man? It's over and done with."  
  
"Is it?" Kurt blurts without thinking, then hurriedly backtracks, taking a deep, wavering breath before saying, "Listen, after...well, that night, when I got back to the mansion..." Kurt can't look Todd in the eye. Todd has the right to know what happened when he'd gotten home that night, but guilt seems to be making his throat close up. He turns away, staring instead at the trees behind the school. "I...," he swallows, pauses to gather his thoughts, or his nerves. Maybe both.   
  
"Logan knows."   
  
Well okay, unless you count your blood freezing as playing it cool, that determination was short-lived. Stomach tight, head pounding, Todd just stares in disbelief, mouth agape. "Wh-what?!" he croaks, hands flying up to yank at the roots of his hair. "H-how could--what--how the FUCK did he find out? Oh, jesus.." He paces back and forth, twitchy fingers combing through his hair, rubbing his temples, his eyes, anything to keep the nervous energy busy. "Fuck.. fuck, fuck, fuck.."  
  
Noting with some surprise that Todd's first words weren't 'How could you TELL him?!' Kurt shoves his embarassment aside to try and calm him down. "It was an accident. He found me on the way back to my room. Looking like I did, hell, -smelling- like I did...it wasn't hard for him to figure out. I'm so sorry, truly, I didn't mean for it to happen! Mein Gott, it was the absolute last thing I would've wanted, I tried to make excuses but it only made things worse-" The words come out in a rush, and when he runs out of things to say he falls silent, holding his hands out in an ineffectual gesture of apology.  
  
Todd freezes mid-pace, his head slowly turning to regard Kurt with wide eyes full of shock. "Wait, wait.. you.. TOLD him?" Well, there goes his assumption about X-Geeks keeping their word. Taking a step forward, his brain tries to form coherent thoughts, but the only one that rings clear is the chanting command of 'DIE DIE DIE DIE.' His fingers itch to wrap around Kurt's throat, and making strangling gestures in the air is all he can do to keep himself from jumping the boy. "What. The. FUCK! How could you do that, man?! What happened to 'no one will ever know?' Fucking hell, couldn't you have just pulled a disappearing act on him?! FUCK!"  
  
"Disappear to WHERE? You've seen Wolverine fight, he's BUILT to hunt, there's no place in the city I could run to!" Kurt cries. He'd been expecting accusation, but now that they're actually here, and Todd's saying these things to him, it hurts much worse than he'd thought. Guilt wars with indignation in his mind, and he struggles to compose himself before he says something he'll regret. "He snuck up on me, he could smell me coming from down the hall; his sense of smell's like a wild animal's or something, he knew before I opened my mouth! What was I supposed to do, keep denying it until he carved the details out of my hide? He threatened to have the Professor read my fucking mind, man! There was nothing I could do!"  
  
Todd throws his hands up in the air and turns the other way, violently racking his brain for the next action to take. Primal instinct says to beat Kurt to a bloody pulp, but what would that solve? Of course, his brain isn't exactly offering up many options.. "Okay," he sighs, trying to calm his nerves. "Okay.." Oh, screw it. With a growl, he whirls around and leaps at Kurt in an attempt to knock him down.  
  
Kurt cries out in surprise as he finds himself slammed into the wall. His head connects loudly with the surface and his feet slip out from under him, sending him to the ground where he lies on his back, staring up at Todd dazedly. "What are you doing?! Fuck!" He rubs the back of his head; there's a small patch of sticky wetness where he hit it, and he winces as the touch sends pain shooting up through his temples.  
  
Todd cringes, gazing down at Kurt guiltily as he catches his breath. In his outburst, he'd forgotten about the wall; he wasn't exactly sure what his intention had originally been, but it certainly didn't involve the other boy's head smacking against concrete. Loudly, at that. He shuddered. Of course, had this been any other time, Todd more than likely would have taken advantage of the situation and either taunted Kurt until he got back on his feet to fight some more or would have simply walked away, snickering. This isn't any other time, though. This is now, and Todd is feeling like an ass, just as he feared he would when the time came to interact with Kurt 'normally' again.  
  
Kneeling down, he reaches out to brush the other boy's hair back to try and inspect the wound, but hesitates and pulls back at the last second. "Sor--" He stops short, because you don't apologize to your enemy. "--eh, you okay, man? Kinda got carried away there for sec, yo.. heh."  
  
Kurt releases the breath he'd held when Todd started reaching for him, and sighs with disappointment. He sits up, earning himself a wave of nausea and an increase in the drum solo going on in his skull; squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, he rubs his forehead harshly. "Just peachy, thanks a lot," he glares at Todd. "As I was trying to tell you before my head was introduced to Mr. Concrete back there, you'd better watch yourself. Logan's said he wouldn't get involved, but if he sees this as a threat to the team...I don't know what he'd do, but I can't imagine it'd be a good thing."  
  
Todd continually glances at the back of Kurt's head as he listens, wincing when he sees a dark spot beginning to soak through the surface of blue hair. "Well, what's he consider a 'threat to the team?' I'll be sure not to do it, man. And," he pauses, eyeing the spot of blood again before lowering his gaze shamefully. "I think there's something you gotta know.."  
  
Kurt's now feeling gingerly around the wound, wincing. Irritation and frustration are starting to get the better of him, and his voice is clipped when he snaps, "According to him, using this to manipulate me would be a 'threat to the team'. You might want to avoid doing that, Logan can be very...inventive with his punishments." He glares at Todd, waiting for him to continue.  
  
Todd briefly considers asking just HOW he'd manipulate Kurt, because as far as Todd knows, fuzzy boy would never let anything like that happen. In lieu of pressing the matter, however, he simply nods, scratching the back of his head nervously. He doesn't have to do this, he reminds himself, but damn, he caused the guy some head trauma; the least he deserves is the truth. "I, um.. I kinda told Lance about what happened.." Defense system on: anticipate broken jaw now.  
  
Kurt didn't think a person's eyes could get this big. He stares at Todd, pain forgotten in the face of overwhelming and holy, righteous indignation. "You did WHAT?!" He leaps to his feet; or at least starts to, before his legs veto that order and send him crashing back to his knees, pounding head bowed, hands clutching at the sides. A moan escapes his throat and he silently curses himself for the show of weakness, but he grasps at his newfound anger like a life-line. "What in the hell were you thinking? You-I can't believe you would-" he snarls wordlessly. "And you jump ME for it getting out, without my control, when you-...What'd you do, go home and gloat with him over a few beers and a game of poker? And now he wants me dead and my head's a fucking mess, not to mention it's covered in blood - this has just been one hell of a weekend, wouldn't you say?!" Kurt's panting now, and recognizes the tone of hysteria in his voice, but he can't help it. All he wants to do is reach over, strangle the boy, and go back to leading a happy, Todd-free life.  
  
"Hey, hey!" Todd shouts, his fists curling at his sides. "First of all, I ain't the one that said, 'oh don't worry, I won't tell anyone.' I wanted to forget about the whole thing, remember?! But no, you had to be all, 'let's just think about it' and so I fucking thought about it and you know what I found out?! Not a damn fucking thing, yo! So Lance asked me what was up, man. I didn't wanna tell 'im at first, but he kept bugging the shit out of me and I figured I needed to talk about it anyway if I was ever gonna sort anything out! And GLOAT? What the hell is there to gloat about?! You don't fucking gloat about foolin- screw- argh! doing the things that we did with your ENEMY." Breathlessly muttering a few more curses, Todd slaps the concrete with his palm and sits down across from Kurt, massaging the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "This is so fucked up, man.." He steals a quick glance at the boy in front of him and sighs, guilt gnawing at him once again.  
  
Kurt wants to scream. He wants to just throw back his head, open his mouth, and scream his frustration to the sky. Maybe doing that for an hour (or ten) would relieve some of this unyielding tension and confusion. He takes a shuddering breath and turns his defeated gaze to Todd, suddenly not caring anymore how weak he's being. "I can't do this," he chokes. "I can't just deny it happened, I can't forget. I haven't been able to think of anything else since then. I don't understand the things that are going on in my own head, the only thing I do know is that..." He breaks off and buries his face in his arms, eyes burning.  
  
Todd blinks, his stomach tightening with each word that leaves Kurt's mouth. Granted, Todd has been saying the same things to himself the whole weekend, but to have them out in the open, to have Kurt openly admit these things to him--he doesn't want to hear it, is afraid of what it means, of what it might lead up to. He closes his eyes tightly, trying to block Kurt's voice, but as soon as the other boy stops mid-sentence, he opens them again. "..is that what..?" he whispers without even thinking. He immediately regrets it, doesn't want to hear the answer, but finds himself waiting with bated breath.  
  
Every last fraction of Kurt's common sense tells him to drop it, here and now, before hell opens up under their feet and swallows them both. He can't say it. CAN'T. No way in hell can he do something that reckless and stupid and fuck, Todd can't feel the same way anyway, it's not possible! He just can't...But as much as he can't say it, he doubly can't go on like this. "The only thing I know...is that I don't want to forget."  
  
Todd's stomach drops. He figured that's what was coming, but that didn't make listening to it any easier. It could have a world of meanings behind it and he didn't want to think about any of them, but he latched onto the safest one: pleasure. Who would want to forget about something that felt so good? Doesn't matter who it was with, when, or why--it happened and it felt wonderful. When held in that light, it doesn't seem so terrible. Whether or not this is the actual reason Kurt doesn't want to forget is beside the point; it makes Todd feel better, and, in fact, takes away some of the anxiety he felt for feeling the same way. But he keeps that part to himself. Clearing his throat, he regards Kurt for a few more seconds before responding, softly: "Then.. don't, man. No one can force you to." He bites the inside of his cheek and finally acknowledges the guilt that's been eating at him. "How's your head, yo..? You needa go to the nurse or somethin'?"  
  
"No, it's...it's fine. I think the bleeding's stopped." The response is automatic, coming from one part of Kurt's brain while the rest is trying to interpret Todd's words. 'He doesn't mean...' Not caring how desperate his gaze probably looks, he glances at Todd, searching his face for some clue to what he's feeling, then decides there's only one way to know for sure. "I don't care what everyone is saying, or will be saying if they find out. You're the only one that matters in this. Do you want to deny it all, to just forget it?" His breath catches in his throat as he dreads the answer.  
  
Todd nods, relieved to hear that the wound is no longer bleeding. The feeling doesn't last long, though, before he finds himself between a rock and a hard spot. Why can't Kurt just drop it..? Leaping to his feet, Todd jams his hands in his pockets and nervously fiddles with the material inside, scowling down at the other boy. "WHY does it gotta matter what I think?!" he snaps, harsher than he intended. His voice softens as he begins pacing, eyes trained on the ground. "Lookit, what you think is your business and what I think is mine, dawg. Whatever I wanna do shouldn't affect what you wanna do because--well, it just shouldn't!"  
  
"Shouldn't it?" A mad impulse grips Kurt. He gets unsteadily to his feet, head pounding and stomach turning to ice, and meets Todd's gaze, unflinching. "And if I want..." he almost whispers, leaning close, too close and too slow. His breath catches when he finally makes contact, lips caressing Todd's with infinite care and fear. He closes his eyes and waits for the rage, the blows, the shouting...  
  
Todd can't breathe.. or rather, he's forgotten how to. He stands frozen, muscles stiff, eyes wide, trying to process exactly what's happening, while emotions and thoughts pull him in different directions. He wants to be angry, but he wants to smile; he wants to run away, but he wants to stay right here; he wants to push Kurt away, but he wants to pull him close. It all results in numbness and dumbfounded petrification, his heartbeat echoing in his ears.  
  
Kurt savors the touch, knowing chances are good that this is the last time he'll be able to do this. The expected rebuff doesn't come, though, and he gathers enough nerve to press on, running his tongue lightly along Todd's lip, begging entry. He brings his hands up, one resting on Todd's hip, the other curling against his face and running back into his too-soft hair.  
  
Todd closes his eyes and almost gives in to the kiss.. but breaks away at the last second, half-lidded eyes narrowed at Kurt. He doesn't pull back very far, nor is he yelling or hitting (all things he feels he should be doing), but is merely standing there, searching the other boy's face for some sort of hint as to.. as to.. "Why..?" he whispers.  
  
Kurt's not surprised when Todd breaks the kiss; he was expecting it, of course, but it doesn't help the longing or confusion. The other boy's gaze is searching, and he tries to give him what he's looking for, to let the thousand emotions running through him show in his face and his eyes. He doubts he managed it. His lips are still tingling.  
  
"It...it just feels so right. Don't you feel it?" his voice is pleading.   
  
Todd... feels something, he knows, but he has absolutely no idea what it means. Kurt's lips are terribly inviting, their warmth still lingering on his own lips from seconds before, but.. won't this only lead to more confusion? How can they solve anything when they're going right back to the beginning? Or maybe this is the solution.. running with it and seeing where it goes.. Todd isn't sure; the mere thoughts are enough to send his mind reeling, putting him in a daze as he stares into Kurt's eyes, witnessing a plethora of emotion.  
  
Being so lost in the moment, it takes him a few seconds to register what the ringing bell in the distance means. "Shit," he mutters and tears his gaze away, stepping back to shake himself into reality once again. "Lunch's over."  
  
Kurt curses furiously, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands into the air. "If I didn't know better I'd say God was mocking me," he mutters. He glances at Todd, uncertain. The boy seems torn; Kurt sees what he thinks is want and confusion on his face. Maybe... "Are you busy after school?" he rushes, wanting to get it over with before he loses his nerve or his chance.  
  
Todd blinks, completely taken aback by the question. "Umm.. after school?" He scratches his head thoughtfully, knowing that all he ever does after school is get a ride home from Lance and lounge around the boarding house all day... maybe go out and pickpocket a little or grab a bite to eat... so really, the answer to the question would be no, as he's rarely ever 'busy' in the literal sense. But he isn't quite sure if he wants forgo his little routine to hang out with Kurt. Not alone, anyway. And not with the giant possiblity of them ending up in a tangled heap on the floor somewhere, if that kiss earlier was any indication. "Not sure, yo.. Gotta, um, gotta check with Lance. He might, I dunno, wanna do something later.. or something." Hesitating for a second, he shoves his hands in his pockets again and walks back in the direction they came from, past Kurt without a glance, eyes fixed on the floor. He stops about two feet away, though, and glances over his shoulder. "Um.. call me."  
  
A tiny, wondrous flicker of hope stirs in Kurt's chest. Wrong or not, he's decided the course he wants to take, and having a short-term goal, working these things out and seeing where they lead, is already beginning to clear out the mess of confusion he's been feeling. He doesn't try to hide the smile that spreads across his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll call you."  
  
Todd flashes a quick smile in return and crouches down, literally hopping off in the opposite direction. Whoo boy, is he knee-deep in shit. /"Call me," I say. What the fuck am I thinking?/ He makes note to sit on the phone as soon as he gets home, because if someone else answers it... especially Lance... well, damn. Life is just pretty fucked up now, innit. 


	5. Scene 5: Todd, Kurt, Lance, Pietro, Scot...

8/29/03- I must work late tonight, so I figured I might as well post another scene before I do. Now I'm caught up with what Bridgie's (Idgiebay) posted at AFF, yay! This chapter's got pretty much the same people as the last one. I play Kurt, Lance, and briefly, Scott, while Bridgie plays Todd and Pietro. [loves all over Bridgie's Pietro] Thanks again to everyone who's been reviewing! Now for your regularly scheduled Todd/Kurt goodness, w00t!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 5-  
  
3pm: one of the busiest times of any weekday as children and teenagers crowd the streets, fleeing the horrible prison known as school. It's a commuter's nightmare: shoulder to shoulder movement on the sidewalks, traffic jams, road rage ruling supreme. Of course, Pietro Maximoff didn't have to worry about any of that; he'd been home since a minute after the last school bell rang, which was (he looked at the clock and smirked) about fifteen minutes ago. He mock-frowns and laments, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Poor Alvers is probably stuck in traffic. It must really suck not to be me." Snickering, he plops himself on the sofa and turns the TV on, incessently flipping through every channel before settling on some sleezy talk show featuring a drunken man who'd apparently slept with his sister-in-law's husband's dog without realizing it. "Ah yes, wholesome American entertainment," he scoffs. Suddenly, a distinct ringing sound echoes in the kitchen and Pietro tilts his head, suspiciously eyeing the direction from whence it came. Nobody ever called the boarding house...  
  
..except for Kitty.  
  
Lips contorting to a devilish grin, Pietro leaps off of the couch (TV forgotten), zips into the kitchen, and delicately picks up the phone. He clears his throat, preparing to use a falsetto. "You've reached the Brothers of Bayville Boarding House, this is Lance's whore of the week speaking, howmayIhelpyou?" He idly examines his nails as he speaks.  
  
It takes Kurt a moment to register the identity of the voice on the other end of the line, but as soon as he does panic kicks in. He'd thought 15 minutes gave Todd enough time to get home, but somehow the idea that someone else might answer hadn't crossed his mind. His first instinct is to hang up the phone; he squashes that impulse quickly, swallows hard, and prays Maximoff doesn't recognize his voice. Right. Fat chance. "Eh...can I talk to Todd, please."  
  
Pietro blinks, pulls the receiver away, and glares at it questioningly for a moment before returning it to his ear. "You're not Kitty," he points out, voice back to normal. "You're that freak whose boxers stick out of his pants! Where do you get your fashion tips, man, Losers.com?"  
  
"You're right, I'm not Kitty. You ARE quick." Kurt rolls his eyes. "Could you just put Todd on the phone, please."  
  
Pietro reclines against the counter, twirling the phone cord through his fingers. "Why?"  
  
"We were going to swap recipes, why do you think?" Kurt growls. "Just give him the phone."  
  
"Ohhh touchy, aren't we? All right, I'll give him the phone," he says, smirking. "Just as soon as you tell me what you guys were up to during lunch today."  
  
Kurt cringes. He really doesn't need this right now, especially not from Maximoff. "I don't see how it's any of your business."  
  
"Oh, so it's personal then?" He grins darkly, idly spinning a steak knife that'd been left out on the counter. He recalls the way Kurt had looked at Todd earlier, the X-Geek's eyes much gentler when compared to the death glare he'd been sending Lance. And the way his voice had softened... "HOW personal?"  
  
"Fuck!" Kurt curses under his breath. "If you just HAVE to know, we got roped into doing a project together in Mr. Lipnicki's class. It's not personal, nothing's going on, now would you give him the phone and stop wasting my time?" The excuse sounds lame even to his own ears, but Kurt can't think clearly enough to come up with something better through the fog of panic clouding his mind.   
  
Pietro snorts, not making the slightest attempt to stifle his laughter. "Riiight. And that's why Lance said this was, and I quote, 'some serious shit,' hmm? C'mon, fuzzball, do you take me for some kind of idiot? You and Toadie-boy aren't even in Mr. Lipnicki's class at the same time." He pauses for a second and flicks the steak knife, watching it fly across the counter top. "Did you fuck him or something?" he rather nonchalantly asks, though the hint of amusement in his voice makes it hard to tell if he's joking or not. His grin widens with smug satisfaction as the knife plummets into the sink, clattering into the garbage disposal. /Score./  
  
'How the fuck?' Kurt's heart is somewhere in the vicinity of his knees now. He struggles to maintain a casually irritated tone, knowing he's failing miserably. "What the hell is your problem, man?"  
  
Pietro purposely ignores the voice on the other end of the phone, except for noting its change in tone. God, X-Geeks were fun to fuck with. "Naaah, that couldn't have been it," he ammends. "You're definitely a bottom. Did he fuck you, then?"  
  
Kurt sputters, mind going totally blank. He takes a deep breath, and runs his hand through his hair. 'He's just trying to get a reaction, he can't possibly know...' "I am so not having this conversation with you. Would you give the damn phone to him or should I just hang up right now?"  
  
Pietro glances at the clock; the rest of the Brotherhood should be home any minute now. Until then, however, Kurt is still his to play with and boy, is he ever fun to play with. He plans on milking the moment for all it's worth. Ain't his fault if the fuzzball gets flustered and hangs up. "Wait, wait! We gotta compare notes, Wagner! Did you think he was good in bed? I'd give him a five, but that thing he does with his tongue... oh yeah. Ten for creativity."  
  
'Oh god'...Kurt tries desperately to force down the thoughts that was giving him. Now is definitely not the time. "You're sick, man, seriously sick."   
  
Pietro grins, trying to hide the chuckle in his voice. "Sick? Moi?" Mock-offense. "Obviously, you haven't sampled the pleasure that a long, prehensile tongue can provide." /And who would want to? Icky./ "Anyway, he's not home yet. I think he and Lance are off screwing somewhere, but I'll be sure to let him know that you're waiting for sloppy seconds as soon as he gets back."  
  
"After all that, you're telling me he's not even THERE?! Why you, you- ARGH!" Kurt pulls the phone away from his ear and glares at it with a frustrated yell. His fingers make desperate strangling motions around it for a few moments, before he squeezes his eyes shut, trying to calm down. Gingerly he puts the phone back to his ear. "Screw this. I'm hanging up."  
  
Lance chooses this opportune moment to walk in, and raises an eyebrow at seeing what Pietro's doing. "Who's on the phone?"  
  
Pietro jumps at the sound of Lance's voice; he hadn't even heard the front door open. Smiling broadly, he holds up a finger to shush the other Brotherhood member and whispers into the phone, "Hey wait, they're back now! Alvers must've had a premature eruption." Snickering, he turns to look at his teammate and sees Todd not too far behind, gawking and looking a tad greener than usual. "Hey Tolensky, your boyfriend's on the phone!" Pietro holds the receiver out, smiling just a bit too sweetly.  
  
Todd just stares at the phone. He'd really like to die right now. No wait, first he'd like to kick Pietro in the nuts, then die. Yes. Prioritize, Tolensky.  
  
"What?!" Lance grabs for the phone, trying to keep it out of Todd's reach.  
  
"Maximoff? Maximoff, give Todd the phone, damn it," Kurt cringes. If Lance gets there first...  
  
Todd blinks when he sees Lance try to snatch the phone away. Damnit, he KNEW telling Kurt to call was a bad idea... Jumping up, he tries to grab at the phone before his teammate can, but Pietro--being the quick bastard that he is--swiftly pulls the receiver out of both of their reaches.  
  
"Hey, hey, one at a time!" the speed demon shouts, now on the other side of the kitchen, phone in hand, cord pulled taut. "Damn, you're Mr. Popular tonight, aren't you?" He chuckles into the receiver.  
  
The speedster just got on Kurt's last nerve, and he loses it. "Pietro! I swear if you don't give that phone to Todd I'm going to teleport that swelled head off your scrawny body!"  
  
Pietro guffaws. "SCRAWNY? You're one to talk, Mr. Skinny Bone Jones. And I'd like to see you--ACK!" He quickly dodges to the left to avoid the Toad that has decided to launch itself at him. "I'll give him the phone as soon as he stops attacking me!" Darting atop the kitchen table, he holds the receiver in the air. "Go fetch!" he shouts, releasing his grip and watching as the cord springs back to its original length and takes the phone with it. He winces as it hits the ground, hoping it didn't break (it's their only phone, after all, aside from the one in Mystique's room, and they ain't touching THAT). Satisfied that it's still in one piece, he eyes the other boys intently, wondering who'll get the phone first.  
  
Todd cautiously regards Lance, trying to guess his next move as he himself crouches down, ready to make a jump for the phone.  
  
Lance tries to stare Todd down. He's closer to the phone, but with the speed of Todd's jump it'll be a near thing...he makes a mad dive for the receiver.   
  
Todd leaps forward the second Lance dives, his body colliding with the floor at the end of his jump. His hand brushes the phone and just as he's about to grab it and grin triumphantly, a larger hand wraps around it and snatches it away. "Aw, fuck.."  
  
"Oooh, so CLOSE, Tolensky," Pietro tsks, shaking his head as he kneels on the table. "I was rootin' for you, I really was."  
  
Todd promptly flips him off, at which Pietro pouts indignantly, placing his hands on his hips. "Fine. See if I embellish YOUR sexual performance again..." The words fall on deaf ears as the younger mutant pushes himself to his knees, worried eyes trained firmly on Lance.  
  
Lance glares at no one in particular as he ignores Todd, and picks up the phone. "Fuzzy, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Shit," Kurt puts a hand over his eyes and shakes his head, releasing the breath he swears he'd been holding the entire time. Of course things couldn't be easy..."Talking on the phone, apparently, and watching my blood pressure rise. Did you blab to Pietro or is he just fixated on thoughts of Todd's sex life?"  
  
Todd gets to his feet and slinks to Lance's side, trying to catch the boy's eyes and silently plead to hand him the phone.  
  
Pietro watches the scene with fascination. Who needs TV when you've got your own soap opera unfolding right in your kitchen? If popcorn didn't take so long to make (two and a half minutes?! What a gyp! Someone needs to invent InstaPop), he'd definitely have a bowl-full in front of him, ready for munching. Instead, he sits cross-legged on the middle of the table, amusing himself by humming the tune to 'The Young and the Restless.'  
  
Todd's creeping up beside Lance but he continues to ignore him, pausing only to give him a stern glare. "Never mind Pietro. Why the hell are you calling? Why don't you just hang up the phone like a good little boy and go back to playing with your perfect little friends. We don't want you around, you got me?"  
  
Kurt's fur bristles, and he starts pacing irritably, his tail twitching. "You know, I wish I could. But I can't. And I'm sorry to intrude on your happy little life, but I don't much care whether you want me around. It's not you I'm interested in."  
  
Todd frowns and folds his arms, eyeing Lance heatedly. Okay, so the pathetic puppy dog eyes aren't gonna work on him. The violent approach is also out of the question, unfortunately. Sure, Todd could probably get a few pretty damn good kicks in on account of his lower body strength, but that wouldn't sit well with Lance at all, and once Todd finally got his hands on the phone, they'd probably be a little too broken to hold it. He decides to rely on annoyance. Clearing his throat, he repeatedly (and not quite so gently) jabs his teammate in the side, emphasizing each poke with: "Gimme the phone."  
  
Lance swats at Todd's prodding finger. "Will you cut it out!" he snaps, then turns his attention back to the phone. "I don't care what you want, fuzzy. You're dealing with me now, not Todd. And I'm telling you only once. Back. Off."  
  
Kurt growls dangerously. "Give. Todd. The phone."   
  
All right, now Todd is getting pissed. This isn't any of Lance's business after all, and how DARE he have the audacity to take over HIS phone call and assume that Todd would sit back and let him take control of a situation he shouldn't even be involved in.. though, there is that tiny twisted part of Tolensky's mind that thrills at Lance's protectiveness over him, but Todd decidedly ignores that part and plants himself in front of the other boy. Clearly irate, he scowls and holds out his hand. "Gimme the fucking phone."  
  
Pietro smirks and rolls his eyes. "Oohh, if only I had a video camera. This could be the first ever reality soap opera, I swear. We could call it 'As the Stomach Turns.'"  
  
Lance glares at Todd for all he's worth, but decides it's best to give in before he gets really pissed off. It'll be harder to help him if he's too angry with Lance to accept it. Jaw set in a firm line, he speaks into the phone one last time. "Hurt him, and I'll rip each and every one of your hairs out, one clump at a time." He then shoves the phone into Todd's hand roughly, and goes to stand by the sink, arms crossed and a stern glare trained on Todd.  
  
"Little protective, hmm?" Pietro teases, suggestively quirking his eyebrows at Lance. "Jealous?"  
  
Lance keeps his eyes trained on Todd, determined to hear the whole conversation. He breaks the stare only long enough to glare at Pietro. "Grow up, man."  
  
Pietro sneers and childishly sticks his tongue out at Lance before focusing on Todd, ears perked for any interesting factoids he could use to tease the younger mutant later.  
  
Todd holds the receiver in his hand, waiting for Lance to leave the room, and lets out an exasperated sigh when the other boy merely stands by the sink, gaze still trained on him. Pietro says something, but Todd doesn't catch it; he simply shakes his head and glares at Lance. "Whatever, yo.." he grumbles. Turning around, he puts the phone to his ear and tries to ignore the sudden apprehension gnawing at his gut. He hopes Lance doesn't plan on watching him the whole time... "..hello?"  
  
"Remind me to never call your place again," Kurt sighs with relief.  
  
Ignoring the exchange behind him, Todd scratches his head and smiles sheepishly, though no one can see it. "Erm, sorry about that, man.." He glances over his shoulder only to see Pietro staring at him as well now. Lovely. Talk about being in the spotlight. Sighing into the phone, he walks as far away from the other boys as he can and leans against the archway that leads into the living room, self-consciously keeping his voice as low as possible without whispering. "So.. um.. what's up, yo?"  
  
A small smile begins to spread across Kurt's face. Now that the rogue's gallery is out of the picture, he's definitely planning to enjoy this. "Nothing much. School was as boring as usual, but it was over quickly. What about you? What about Lance...is he giving you problems?" He tries to keep his tone casual, but isn't sure it works.   
  
Todd casually glances over his shoulder again and grins. "Nah, no problems.. at least, not any more than you're probably getting from.. ah.." Now he brings his voice to a whisper; no sense in getting Lance all worked up when he finds out that Kurt hasn't exactly kept his mouth shut. "..you know who."  
  
Kurt sticks out his tongue, wrinkling his nose. "Thankfully, I haven't seen Logan all day. I think he's running some errands for the Professor or something. Whatever, I'm just glad he's out of sight for now."  
  
"Heh, well that's good.." Todd distractedly fiddles with the cord. Not only is it discomforting knowing that two of his teammates are listening to his every word (while he idly converses with the ENEMY, no less), but talking on the phone in general has always been an awkward task for him. And yet, here he is, speaking to someone he can barely manage five civil words with in person, trying to hold a conversation over the phone. He has absolutely no idea what to say. 'Awkward silence' is aptly named, however, and Todd feels the need to end it. He nervously shifts his weight and clears his throat. "..so.." he says. And that's all he can manage. Brilliant.  
  
"Yeah. Um..." now that he's finally got Todd to himself, Kurt isn't quite sure what to say next. What do you say in a situation like this? 'So, are you free to make out tonight?' sure doesn't cut it. He blushes, thoughts automatically straying, and looks around guiltily, reassuring himself there's no one nearby. "So. Did you, uh, ask Lance? About, you know...whether you were doing anything?"  
  
"Huh..? Oh!" Todd looks back at Lance again. He never truly intended to ask the other boy anything; it was an excuse to buy more thinking time, but neither Kurt nor Lance needed to know that. Problem is, though, Todd still isn't sure what he wants to do. Sighing, he drops his gaze to the floor and weighs his options: on one hand, he could hang here and run the risk of being interrogated by Pietro and/or maimed by Lance, or on the other hand, he could hang with Kurt, probably surrounded by uncomfortable silence filled with uncertainty with the possibility of very good things happening to his body. Little Todd hormones jump at the prospect.  
  
"Yeah," he finally answers, gut tightening with anticipation. "Yeah, I ain't doin' nothin', yo." Maybe Lance would maim him anyway.  
  
A nervous grin spreads across Kurt's face. Part of him is afraid of what might come of this, but the rest of him stuffs that part in a corner and sits on it. Whatever happens, this is what he's chosen, and he's not backing down now. "Great!" he says, a little too quickly, and he clears his throat, taking a calming breath. "Great. So, uh...when do you want to go? For that matter, where?"  
  
Todd worries his lip. He doesn't exactly want Lance to know he's going anywhere. "I dunno, fool. You pick."  
  
Kurt smiles at the ceiling. Who knew being called 'fool' could feel so good? Now where can they go where they won't run into anyone..."Hey, how about the book shop on 5th and Elm? No one will think to look for us there. Maybe we can get a bite at the burger place across the street first."  
  
Todd sighs with relief; now he could just tell Lance and Pietro he was running out for a bite to eat and not worry about being caught in another a lie. "That's great, man." He brings the phone a little closer, cupping the receiver with his hand to make sure the other two don't hear him. "What time?" he whispers.  
  
Pietro raises a brow. He didn't catch what was being said, but he's been logging Todd's body language thus far and mentally goes over what he's observed: fidgeting, nervous glances, twitchy fingers, lowered voice. Now more than ever he wants to know what's going on, though he wonders if he hasn't already guessed. Turning his attention to Lance, he tries to catch the boy's gaze, brow raised questioningly.  
  
Lance notices Pietro's reaction, but only bothers to glare at him, hoping he'll take the hint and stay out of it for now. He's far more interested in Todd's behavior. The boy's nervous, which is understandable but also damning; he's doing something he knows he shouldn't be. He's whispering, inaudible, but it's easy enough for Lance to figure out what that something could be. He glowers, hoping Todd will turn around so he can turn the full force of his gaze on him.  
  
Pietro huffs. Whatever. He knows he'll find out what's gong on eventually... he just wishes he didn't have to wait so damn LONG.  
  
"Eight sound good?" Kurt says, a bit too chipper. He blushes again, and makes a conscious effort to relax.  
  
Todd can't help but smile at Kurt's enthusiasm. He also curses the fact that it's contagious. "Sounds good, yo," he answers, finding it difficult to keep the mixture of eagerness and anxiety out of his voice. Then, as an afterthought, he hesitently adds, "See you at school tomorrow?" to cover his ass on the home front. He hopes Kurt will catch his drift.  
  
"Eh?" Kurt's confusion only lasts a moment, and he smirks at the phone. "They're still there? Oh man, I feel sorry for you. At least I've only got to deal with Logan, and he's not even here all the time. I'll see you at-"  
  
"Who's on the phone?" Scott's voice enters from the hall, followed by Scott himself. His brow raises at Kurt's last words.  
  
"Mein gott!" Nearly dropping the phone, Kurt wheels about at the sudden intrusion, face flushing furiously. "Scott! What're you doing here?"  
  
"The professor asked me to round the team up. Logan just brought in a new student, and they want us to lay out the welcome mat for him. Who's on the phone?" he persists, smirking. "Finally found a girlfriend?"  
  
Kurt stands with his free hand on his hip, glaring. "Just a friend from school, lay off man! I'll be there in a minute."  
  
Scott pokes Kurt in the ribs. "Friend from school, suuure. Well fine, don't let me interrupt, just be sure to hurry. They should be here any minute." Without another word he walks off, muttering 'Someone's got a girlfriend,' under his breath.   
  
'Oh God.' Kurt rubs the bridge of his nose. 'The whole mansion's going to hear about this by the end of the night.' Clearing his throat, he grins sheepishly, disregarding the fact Todd can't see it. "Sorry about that."  
  
Todd boggles at being referred to as a 'friend.' Did he mean that, or was he just covering..? /Probably covering,/ Todd decides, though he resolves to ask Kurt about it later. Maybe. After all, you don't screw around with your enemy and then grab a bite to eat with them the next day, right? /Well, apparently *I* do,/ he inwardly grumbles. /'cause I sure as hell don't hate him any less than before,/ though that's a lie, but damned if he's ready to admit that.. even to himself. "No problem, dawg." He grins, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "Just make sure Summers doesn't call me a girl again or my foot'll be meeting his ass, capesh?"  
  
Kurt laughs. "You think I would complain if it did?" He sighs as the sounds of people passing by float in from the hall, Kitty and Evan's laughter among them. "I'd better go. I'll see you at eight, right?"  
  
Todd smirks, oddly entertained by the fact that Kurt wouldn't mind if he gave Scott a little ass-kicking.. not that he'd get very far before the favor was returned, of course, but that was beside the point. "Yeah, man, I'll seeya then."  
  
"Okay then!" Kurt leaps into the air, raising a fist in a silent cheer. "Okay, I'll, uh, I'll let you go then." Suddenly feeling awkward, he grins again. "See you..." He pauses after pressing the end call button, staring at the cordless phone with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation. Then, with a whoop, he dashes from the room, hoping the new student arrives soon so he'll have the time to get ready for eight.  
  
Todd pushes away from the wall, making sure to wipe the smirk off his face before he turns around. Casually swinging the phone by its cord, he makes his way back into the kitchen, whistling as he keeps his eyes trained on the floor. When he gets to the cradle on the wall, he mimics a 'slam dunk' motion and slaps the phone on the hook, shoving his hands into his pockets afterward.   
  
"Don't YOU look chipper."   
  
Todd turns to the source of the voice and sees Pietro staring at him from the kitchen table, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Todd simply shrugs and offers him a winning smile.. which melts into a frown when he regards Lance's piercing glare. "What?!" he snaps, returning the look. /Christ, is THIS what they mean when they say drugs will fuck up your life or what?!/  
  
Lance pushes himself off the counter he'd been leaning on, bringing himself to full height as he regards Todd. "'I'll seeya then'? That sounds awfully friendly, Toad. What're you up to?"   
  
Todd takes a short step back, folding his arms. "I ain't up to shit, Lance! I was just saying I'd see him at school, man."  
  
Yeah, Lance's really believing that. "Uh-huh, sure. So why're you even seeing him at all? Running into each other in the halls is already more than you should be doing, you know that. What're you playing at?"  
  
Todd scowls indignantly and glances at Pietro, silently asking for some sort of defense, but the other mutant simply smiles and wiggles his fingers at him. Todd snorts; should've known better than to look for help there. He grinds his teeth together and regards Lance with a look of frustration and anger, toes itching to connect with the other boy's shin. "I ain't playing at nothin', man. And what the fuck is it to you, anyway? If you didn't know anything about it, it wouldn't be affecting your life at all, so just back the fuck off!"  
  
Lance advances on Todd, intentionally getting way too far into his personal space and thrusting a finger at his face. "If you hadn't told me I wouldn't know! But you did and it is, and now I'm gonna make sure you don't make the mother of all fuck-ups."  
  
Todd involuntarily takes another step back, but doesn't lose eye contact. He quickly slaps Lance's hand away and growls, "I can take care of myself, thanks, so quit fucking playing mother hen! You think I can't make my own decisions, man? I fucking made it this far with no one else thanks, so butt out. I know what I'm doing, fool." Straight out lying, but he'll be damned if he's going to let Lance think he can control the situation.  
  
Pietro readies himself to make a mad dash towards the two if need be. Normally, he could care less if his teammates fought (he rather enjoys it, actually), but this seems serious and he doubts Mystique would be very pleased to come home and find she has one less team member. "Think maybe you should cool it a little, guys?"  
  
"Fuck, for someone so fast you're not being very quick, Pietro! I told you to stay the fuck out of this!" Lance shouts. "And as for you," he grabs Todd by the front of his shirt, giving him a rough shake. "You've made it this far? Look where you ARE, man! FUCK! How am I supposed to help you when you can't even see what's going on right in front of your own damn eyes?"  
  
Pietro's jaw tightens at the insult. He'll let it slide for now, but boy, is Alvers gonna pay for that later...  
  
Todd tries to struggle out of Lance's grip, anger and resentment dominating his emotions. "Who the fuck do you think you are?! You ain't my fucking keeper!" Finally pulling away, he leaps backward, landing under the archway to the den, body shaking with rage. "I AM looking at where I am, man, and you know what I see? I see a fucking punk who pretends he's some kind of leader, but really has pebbles for brains and thinks with the wrong head whenever it comes to a certain X-Geek in a leotard!" Taking a breath, he backs up and doesn't even give Lance a chance to respond before he continues, voice slightly calmer, "Don't you even see what a fucking hypocrite you're being?" Without waiting for a response or reaction, he turns and lopes up the stairs, into his room, and slams the door loudly.  
  
Pietro just looks at Lance, dumbfounded. "Wow."  
  
All Lance can do is stare after Todd, eyes fixed on the door to the den as the other boy disappears from sight. "Shut up..." he tells Pietro, not really paying attention to what he just said. A hypocrite? Where does he get off, thinking he can say something like that about...The situation between him and Kitty is totally different from the fucked up little mess this is becoming. He and Kitty are casual, for all that he wants it to go further. He and Kitty have taken things slow over a period of time. ...He and Kitty haven't fucked under the influence.  
  
Pietro ignores the command, glances back in the direction Todd went, and finally settles his gaze on Lance, eyes bursting with inquisitiveness. "So, are they really fucking, then?" he asks rather nonchalantly, bitterness about the insult only moments ago long forgotten.  
  
Wow. Less than 5 hours, for a secret this size that's got to be a new record. Lance finally turns his attention to Pietro, his voice dripping sarcasm as he quips, "Whatever gave you THAT idea?"  
  
Pietro jumps down from the table and harrumphs, arms folded firmly across his chest. "Hey, just 'cause your little shadow's screwing someone else doesn't mean you gotta take it out on me," he mutters, not quite serious, but the indignation in his voice masks the teasing tone.  
  
Lance collapses against the counter again, massaging his temples furiously. "The whole world's gone crazy, I swear to god. What am I supposed to do about this? It's a danger to the team! When we start fighting those X-Geeks I can't worry that he's gonna run off for a quick fuck when no one's looking. This is ridiculous!"  
  
Pietro raises a brow and suddenly, he's standing right next to Lance at the counter, a small breeze the only indication that he'd moved. "C'mon, you really think frog breath'd do that? Not that I'm at all happy about this situation,"--he mentally pats himself on the back for guessing it before being told, even if he was only trying to mess with the fuzzball's mind--"But I think you should back off a little. Ever hear that the more you deny someone the thing they want, the more they want it? Keep this up, and Tolensky might," shudder "...defect. Besides," he continues, idly examining his fingers (/Is that a hang nail?!/), "It's not really your problem more than it is Mysique's, anyway."  
  
Lance stares at Pietro, as if he's suddenly said something utterly stupid...or brilliant. "Is it so damn wrong to want to watch out for him? He's not like you and me, you know? He doesn't always see the dangers right in front of him. Do you really think this could be GOOD for him? Like him and the fuzzball are gonna live happily ever after? Fuck that. This can only end badly, man. I don't want him to have to go through that."  
  
Pietro tsks at Lance, waving a blurred finger in front of the other boy's face. "Don't go putting words into my mouth! Of course I don't think it's good for him, but as long YOU'RE still here," He stares at his teammate pointedly, continuing with a cheeky grin, "He should come around. And anyhow, he's not as naive as you might think. He really only DOES have himself to thank for getting this far in life." He shrugs and pushes himself away from the counter without further explanation, assuming Lance understand what he's talking about. With a yawn and a stretch, he whirls around and casually asks, "So what happened to the TV, man? There's some crack in the corner. Not that I'm complaining--that crack's certainly more interesting to watch than the one in Oprah's behind."  
  
Wondering briefly over what Pietro meant by that 'he should come around' line, Lance pushes off the counter. Maybe Pietro's right, and all he can do is wait for this mess to blow over; he knows from experience that forbidding something is the best way to make a person want that something even more. That doesn't mean he's going to stop watching, though. The first sign of trouble, he'll personally take care of the fuzzball. A brief smile crosses his face at the thought of cracking open the ground beneath the X-Geek and letting it swallow him whole.   
  
Pietro waves his hand in front of Lance's grinning face. "StillwithmeAlvers? Did I throw you off with my quip about Oprah's ass, or what?"  
  
Lance shakes his head, brought rudely back to reality by Pietro's voice, and grimaces. "Dude, do you have to bring up Oprah's ass? I may want to eat sometime this week."  
  
Pietro grins. "Ah, there's the Lance I know. Speaking of eating," He jabs the other boy in the ribs. "I'm hungry, drive me somewhere. Wanna conserve my energy for eating."  
  
Fighting back a smile, Lance brushes past Pietro on the way to the den. "What am I, your chaffeur?" He steals a last glance up the stairs and stifles a sigh, heading for the door. "Well, hurry up, I ain't got all day."  
  
Snickering, Pietro zooms past Lance and opens the door. "Way ahead of you, Jeeves." Heedless of whether or not he's being understood, he babbles as he makes a beeline for the jeep and hops in. "I know this great French restaurant that just opened up on Grand and I think it might be alittleexpensive, but it doesn't matter sinceyou'regonnapayanyway, being that I don'thaveanymoney, but hey it'sgreatfood and I think you really oughtta try the GlaceDeVolailleGold."  
  
"Do I look like I can afford French cuisine?" Lance calls out the door. He stops just before leaving, and again stares in the direction of Todd's room. The thought of leaving him unsupervised, and what might happen if he does, is almost enough to make him stay. With a sigh, he turns towards the car, closing the door behind him.  
  
Pietro pouts. "Fine, we can go to the French fastfood place next door to it, but don't eat the escargot-burrito," he warns. "I think they pick their snails right up out of the lot behind them." He shudders and makes little icky gestures with his hands. "Heathens."  
  
Lance shudders. 'French FAST FOOD?' "Sounds like Todd's kinda joint. Luckily for our digestive tracts, since I have the car, I choose the restaurant. Burger Bonanza, here we come!" With a smirk he shifts gears, and the jeep shoots down the street, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. 


	6. Scene 6

8/31/03-Yay, another one! Todd and Pietro played by Bridgie, Lance and Freddie played by yours truly. Oh, and Pietro spoils the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean, so read with caution, heh. Enjoy your daily recommended allowance of Todd/Kurt, everybody!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 6-  
  
Todd sighs and softly closes the door to his room, pausing in the middle of the hallway for a moment to see if he can hear any noise downstairs. The house is relatively quiet, save for the soft buzz the TV gives off from the living room, which means that Lance is either brooding somewhere or he isn't home. Todd doesn't know; other than now, he hasn't come out of his room all night. It's nearing 7:30, though, and if he's going to meet Kurt on time, he has to leave now--Lance be damned.  
  
Spending the past few hours alone gave him time to think. He shouldn't have said those things to Lance, but damnit, why does the guy have to be so hard-headed? He had some points, but they weren't anything that Todd hadn't already thought about. He doesn't seem to realize the fact that Todd has been making decisions for himself for half of his life, and if that's the case, Tolensky plans on making sure he's well aware of that tidbit next time they're alone and not trying to beat the shit out of one another. He knows what he's doing. If things with Kurt get out of control, he'll just stop. No more. It shouldn't be that hard at all.   
  
..right?  
  
He takes careful measures not to step on the boards that squeak as he silently creeps down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he crouches down on all fours and proceeds to slink to the door as quietly as possible, reaching for the knob and briefly glancing into the living room on his way. He pauses, pulls back, and looks at the couch. "Freddie?"  
  
Freddie turns, momentarily forsaking The Powerpuff Girls, to see Todd's finally come out of his room. He puts on a big grin. "Hey! Wanna watch toons with me? It's the one where Mojo turns everyone inta dogs!"  
  
Todd can't help but smile. "Nah man, I'm gonna go out and grab a bite to eat. Where you been all day, fool? You missed one helluva drama."  
  
A curious look crosses Freddie's features. "Drama? Wha' happened? I went to get some Gut Bombs, I got hungry in fifth period." He slowly gets to his feet, and moves carefully around the couch to stand beside Todd. "Can I come with you, huh? I could sure go for some more burgers!"   
  
Todd waves his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it, you don't wanna know. Believe me." He winces when the other boy asks to go. Shoulda seen that one coming. Nervously scratching his head, he looks to the side and tries to think of a good reason to decline the request. "Umm.. sorry, man," He regards the Blob with eyes full of guilt, slumping his shoulders remoresefully. "I, uh.. I gotta meet someone there. Privately." Well, at least he isn't lying.  
  
Freddie's face falls, his eyes dropping to stare at the various burn marks and torn patches in the carpet. He's trying really hard not to let his disappointment color his voice. "Oh, 'kay...I gotcha. Um...who're you gonna see?"  
  
Todd blinks. Hadn't thought that far. "A.. f-friend, yo," he chokes, the word clumsily rolling out of his mouth like something foreign. He frowns at Freddie's obvious disappointment and lowers his head, idly picking at the carpet with his fingernail. "Want me to pick you something up, man?" he offers, hopefully.  
  
Eagerly catching Todd's eye again, Freddie blurts out, "Yeah, that'd be great! You know what I like right?" He wonders briefly who Todd's friend could be; the little guy never hangs out with anybody, other than him and Lance and Pietro. Brows raising, he asks, "When did you get another friend? Do I know 'em?"  
  
Todd drops his head even lower, eyes closed tightly. This is NOT what he needs right now. "It's someone from school, you've probably seen him around or somethin', but just don't worry about it, man." With a sigh, he stands up and takes a quick look around the house, his body language that of someone expecting to be jumped at any minute. "Yo, are Pietro and Lance around, by the way?"  
  
"Nah, they were gone when I got here. I didn't think you were home either. But you are, you know." Freddie finishes lamely, scrunches up his nose at himself and sits back down on the couch, turning up the volume on the tv.  
  
Todd blinks. "Uh, yeah.." Scratching the back of his neck, he observes the other boy for a moment longer, wondering if he'd even notice if Todd suddenly dropped dead. Probably not. Freddie is to cartoon as chauvinist is to breasts. "Hey man..?" he suddenly says, looking hopeful. "You think you can do me a favor?"  
  
Eyes glued to the TV, Freddie mutters, "Sure, man, anything."  
  
Todd continues, "If Pietro and Lance come back before I do, don't tell 'em I went anywhere, yo.. Just- just tell 'm I'm still up in my room, okay man?" Chewing at his bottom lip in thought, he quickly adds, "And that I don't wanna be disturbed. Got it?"  
  
Eyebrows raised, Freddie turns from the TV long enough to give Todd a quizzical look. The reason behind the request escapes him, and he's curious, but he figures if Todd wanted him to know he'd tell him. Right? "Yeah, okay. Sure thing. I'll uh...I'll see you when you get back."  
  
Todd grins cheerfully. "Thanks, man! I owe you one." Turning on his heel, he opens the door and heads out. "Catch ya later, yo." Slam. Click. Peace at last.  
  
But does peace ever truly last long at the Brothers of Bayville Boarding House? Not more than ten minutes after Todd leaves, an irate Pietro breezes through the front door with a bag of popcorn in hand, a sluggish Lance casually following behind. "Man, that is the LAST time I let you pick a movie," he babbles, throwing the bag on Freddie's stomach with a quick 'hereyagoFreddiewebroughtyousomepopcorn' before whirling on his other teammate. "I thought you said 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was a kick-ass flick?! I was totally disappointed, man."  
  
"It IS a kick-ass flick. I can't help that your taste in movies is worse than Ebert's. I bet even HE liked it, I don't see how in the hell you can't." Lance quips, while idly picking at the few kernels scattered along the bottom of his popcorn tub. "Hey Freddie, seen Todd yet?"  
  
Pietro rolls his eyes. "Oh come on, the ending was a total let-down! You KNOW Will and Jack SO wanted to fuck, but noooo... Will had to stay with that Elizabitch." Wiping his hands on the back of his jeans, he idly mutters something about Lance and his stupid greasy popcorn before scowling at the guilty party. "Next time," he grumbles. "*I* pick the movie."   
  
Turning his attention to Freddie, he tilts his head to the side and curiously eyes the quiet teen. "Yeah, where IS Todd, anyway? Still angsting in his room or what?"  
  
Confusion just pours out of Freddie's eyes. "Angstin'? Uh...he's still in there. He said he didn't want anyone to bother him." He pauses for a moment, and looks as if he's trying to decide whether he should say something. What Todd said about there being 'drama' comes back to him, and he's again curious, and a little worried. Finally coming to a decision, he eyes Lance nervously. "You guys didn't...say anythin' to bother him, did you?"  
  
Lance rolls his eyes. "What'd he tell you? Listen, he made a mistake and I called him on it. Don't worry about it, I'll handle him."  
  
Pietro snorts. "Doesn't want anyone to bother him, huh? Oh well. Life's a bitch, ain't it?" Darting up the stairs, he misses the rest of what Freddie says due to his gleeful cackling. "Ohhh frog breath!" Pound pound pound. "Come downstairs and get your corn seeds dipped in lard before blubber boy eats it all!" Click, squeak. "Tolensky?"  
  
Part of Lance doesn't want to harm Todd's trust in him any further. The other part is curious as fuck as to what Todd's up to. Torn, he holds back on telling Pietro to stop just long enough for Pietro to actually get there. Hearing the door click open he finally strides to the foot of the stairs and calls up, "Pietro, just leave him. If he wants privacy we'll give him privacy..." 'As long as it's not privacy WITH the fuzzball' his mind adds.   
  
Frowning, Pietro zips out of the room and eyes Lance from the top of the stairs. "Leave him? Man, he's left US. Searched the room from ceiling to floor. Half-expected him to be hiding in the closet," he snickers briefly, "but he wasn't there. He split."  
  
"Split?! F UCK! That little..." Lance spins around, fists clenched and eyes blazing, stomps over to the couch, and leans in close to Freddie's face. "Where'd he go?"  
  
"I dun' know, man! He didn't tell me, just said he was gettin' somethin' to eat!" Freddie cringes, trying to disappear into the couch. The couch, of course, whines in protest.   
  
Pietro joins Lance by the couch and gazes at Fred questioningly. "Didn't think YOU'D pass up an opportunity for food," he scoffs. "Why didn't you go with him?"  
  
Now faced with two interrogators, Freddie's beginning to wish he hadn't said anything. He's not sure what Lance's so mad about, but Lance is usually so calm, whatever it is must've been really bad. The look on his face allows for no lies, and Freddie just wants him to stop yelling. "I wanted to, but he said I couldn't. Said he was meeting a friend from school. He's bringing me back some burgers though."  
  
Lance's mouth is now barely more than a thin line, and his nails are digging into his palms painfully. Without preamble he turns and stomps to the front door, pausing only to glare at Pietro and growl, "You coming?"  
  
"C'mon man, what are you gonna do, make a scene so fuzzy nuts can call the rest of the X-Geeks?" Pietro asks, arms folded stubbornly across his chest. "You don't even know where he went!"  
  
Hand already on the doorknob, Lance squeezes his eyes shut, frustrated at being held back, even for a moment. "Then we'll check every burger joint in this damn town! Not like there're that many. And the fuzzball won't get a chance to call for help, I'll make sure of that."  
  
Pietro sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry man, I'm not with you on this one. You're just gonna piss him off some more."  
  
The hand on the doorknob raises to rub furiously at Lance's right temple. Pietro's right, he knows he is. Charging after Todd now would only destroy every shred of trust the boy has in him, and he reminds himself again that forbidding something is a surefire way of making that thing irresistible. Pietro's right...but Lance'll be damned if he lets him know it. Maybe he won't go looking for Todd, but he needs to get out now, before he does something he'll regret later. Wrenching the door open he stomps onto the porch, slamming the door behind him.  
  
Bulging eyes darting back and forth between the door and Pietro, Freddie gasps, "What was THAT?"  
  
Staring at the door for a moment, Pietro sighs again, wondering if Lance truly understands what he's doing. Knowing that Todd is off galavanting with the enemy doesn't sit well with Pietro either, but he wishes Alvers would let Mystique deal with it when she comes back (IF she comes back) rather than further piss Todd off. And Pietro knows what pisses people off--hell, he does it for fun--but once the Brotherhood starts eating their own, everything will fall apart.. and if that happens, well screw Mystique, the REAL puppetmaster pulling the strings will start cracking down on them. That would be bad. Shaking his thoughts away, Pietro grins in Freddie's direction. "Just the usual Brotherhood drama, Dukes. Nothing to worry about." Plopping himself in the chair next to the couch, he props his feet on the table and slumps down with yet another sigh. "Nothing at all." 


	7. Scene 7: First Date

9/1/03- Happy birfday to Jhonen, happy birfday to Jhonen, happy BIRFDAY to JHOOOOOOONEN VASQUEZ, happy biiiiirfday toooooo yoooooooooooooou!!!! Ahem. Anyway, this is it. The infamous 'first date'. JOY! XD This scene is a bloody monster, it's longer than even the first scene, and I love it to death! Characters all played by their usual player, Bridgie or I. Cyber-Pocky and an impressed nod if anyone who can actually figure out the new student is, heh. And it doesn't count if you go to my LJ :P. Now for your daily dose of Todd/Kurt goodness! Bring the pain!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 7-  
  
Fiddling with the lint in his pocket, Todd wanders down the sidewalk in the direction of Burger Barn, his stomach tightening with every step. Again and again, a small yet persistent part of his mind tells him to turn around and hightail it back to the boarding house, but the possibilty of running into Lance is too great and he really isn't in the mood for arguing at the moment. Besides, the rebellious part of him wants to go on, wants to meet up with Kurt and see what happens--this part thrills at the idea of doing something wrong (though it doesn't feel all that wrong, Todd notes; that's what confuses him the most) and emits a tingle at the base of his spine, fluttering with anticipation.  
  
At the corner, he stops and looks up, heedless of the dirty glances being bestowed on him by the passersby; he's already grown used to them long ago. Across the street, a lone pale figure with indigo hair stands at the foot of the Burger Barn hut, nervously eyeing the people around him and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He hasn't noticed Todd yet. /It'd be so easy to turn and walk away,/ that nagging part of his brain declares. /He'd never know you were here and you could just make up some excuse why you didn't show and he'd be none the wiser./ As true as that may be, Todd takes a deep breath and crosses the street anyway, intent on seeing this through.  
  
Getting closer, he notices something different about Kurt, about the way he's dressed, but he can't quite put his finger on it. As he walks up beside the other boy (who's currently turned the other way), Todd takes the opportunity to look him up and down: a dark blue sleeveless shirt with red trim clings to his figure perfectly, while tan cargo pants sag alluringly at his hips. The look is completed with black sandals. Kurt's never worn this outfit before, he notes. Not that Kurt doesn't change his wardrobe regularly, but there's still something odd about it...  
  
Todd suddenly feels awkward in his usual worn out clothes... but what the hell, it's not like he has anything else. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he momentarily wishes he could afford something new, could live some sweet life where a millionaire takes you in for an all-expenses paid stay in a mansion just for being a freak, but he quickly tosses that thought aside and clears his throat to get the other boy's attention.  
  
"Ah!" Kurt's eager, nervous study of the street is interrupted by the voice that suddenly rings out behind him. He whirls around; Todd's standing there, looking adorably (adorably?!) uncertain, and Kurt can't help but smile affectionately, despite the chill that's gripping his stomach. "Glad you made it!"  
  
Todd grins awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck. "Yeah.. um, so am I, yo. Glad, I mean. That you, uh, made it." He looks down and cringes as blood gathers in his cheeks. Wonderful way to start a conversation: get tongue-tied. With a much longer than average tongue, no less, which means it'll take much longer than average to untangle. Screw the small-talk then. He glances up slightly, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Hungry?"  
  
Several less-than-appropriate responses cross Kurt's mind, all of which would probably prove dangerous at the moment, so he instead settles for, "Yeah, let's eat, shall we?" He swings open the restaurant's door, stopping just inside the entrance to hold it open for Todd.  
  
Todd quickly glances around before he enters, making sure nobody's watching. Wouldn't want people thinking this is something more than a casual meeting between two enemies who supposedly hate each other. "Thanks," he mutters. Once the door closes, the cool air from outside dissipates only to be replaced by the somewhat stuffy, meat and fry-scented interior of Burger Barn. He pulls his hands out of his pockets, idly noting how sweaty they are, and wipes them on the back of his jeans, eyeing the vicinity as he does so. The place is relatively empty, thankfully. He turns and looks at Kurt expectantly.  
  
Apparently Todd's uncertainty's catching. Kurt's relief that he actually showed up is now falling prey to a bad case of what-the-fuck-am-I-doings. He's glad to be here, probably more than he should be, but he has no clue what to do now, or how to act. Worst-case scenarios of social catastrophe flash through his mind, and his face feels flush all of a sudden. "I-uh...guess we should order, ja?"  
  
"Yeah.." Todd clears his throat. Okay, so this is more than a little awkward and all the short responses aren't making things any better. Maybe giving another go at the whole small-talk thing isn't such a bad idea. "Yeah," he tries again, reaching for his back pocket to check his funds. "That'd be good, yo. I haven't eaten all--oh shit." He rummages through his back pocket and finds nothing there, then feels around the rest of his pockets, but still comes out empty. And then he remembers: he used his last five bucks to buy lunch at school earlier, only to have it stepped on by some punk who wasn't watching where the hell he was going. Quickly looking around for any easy targets, Todd finds himself at a loss--there are hardly any people around and he'd surely get caught if he tried pickpocketing in the open like this. "Fuck.." Worrying his lip, he glances at the exit, wondering if he can come up with a suitable excuse to go back outside..  
  
"Something wrong?" Kurt asks, but from his behavior it's already obvious. Kurt's played that part before; more than once he's left his wallet back at the institute, or spent more than he realized and ended up short when he needed it again. With what he hopes is a reassuring smile, he walks to the counter at the back of the restaurant, beckoning Todd over with a wave. "Hang on, you can tell me about it after we order. Do you mind if I treat? I'm the one who got you out here, after all." He pulls a bill out of his wallet, and glances up for approval.  
  
Normally, Todd wouldn't hesitate to take money offered to him, but this is different somehow. Weird, even. But not bad. He follows Kurt to the back of the restaurant, stopping a few inches away. Their proximity is both terrifying and exhilirating. "You sure, man?" he asks, searching the other boy's face for signs of hesitation.  
  
Kurt's smile widens. "Of course! I wouldn't feel right otherwise, since I invited you and all."  
  
Todd can't help but smile in return. "Well if you're really sure, fool, thanks.." His gaze lingers for a bit longer than necessary before he catches himself and tears his eyes away, vacantly staring at the menu above him. This is.. weird. Yes, that seems to be the only word capable of describing this situation. Bringing his hand up to scratch his head again (a nervous gesture, if there ever was one), his arm makes brief contact with Kurt's, sending a spark of.. something.. through his skin that causes his hairs to stand on end. Weird. Weird weird weird. Quickly putting his arm back down, he clears his throat and continues staring at the menu. He hasn't read a single item.  
  
Kurt jumps slightly when Todd's arm brushes his own. He wants to believe it's his own natural paranoia getting the better of him; he never wears clothing that exposes much of his fur in public, as a rule, afraid of an accidental touch leading to a panic. He can't even say for certain why he changed this policy, just for tonight. Something about the forbidden nature of what they were doing seemed to call for it, the breaking of more rules. So he would believe it's just fear...if it weren't for the tingling in his skin, the tightening in his stomach, the heat in his face. Swallowing nervously, he turns to the burger-slave at the counter and places his order.  
  
Todd can't seem to keep his mind from wandering. He discreetly glances to the side, eyes trailing over Kurt's arm, finally realizing what it was that seemed so off about him: his arms are totally bare, fur completely vulnerable to inadvertent touching. Todd wonders why he'd take such a risk, but his train of thought is derailed when he hears Kurt saying something to the kid behind the counter. That's right, he's supposed to be ordering food. "Uh, I'll have what he's having, yo," he says, hoping the other boy ordered something good. Of course, Todd isn't exactly a picky eater, so it doesn't really matter. The kid at the counter nods and, very slowly, starts hitting some buttons, giving Todd ample time to rake his eyes over Kurt's arm again. Feeling devious, he reaches up to scratch his neck, brushing his arm against his companion's both on the way up and the way down with such nonchalance, he's certain Kurt won't realize it was a deliberate move. Though his own arm is covered by his shirt, he feels the softness of fur through the material, his skin tingling at the touch.  
  
On it's way up, Todd's arm on his fur induces a quick intake of breath. On it's way down, Kurt's eyes slide shut momentarily at the mounting sensation. Composing himself, he glances aside at Todd; the other boy's watching the inexorably slow progress of the burger-slave's skinny fingers on the register keys, totally oblivious, it seems, to the effect the casual contact is having on Kurt. 'Maybe,' he thinks, 'sleeveless was a bad idea.' Finally, the kid finishes ringing up the order and recites the total in that inconceivably bored tone only obtainable by those in the service industries. Kurt hands him the bill, gets his change and receipt, then moves down the counter to the pick-up spot, leaning against the cheap plastic and waiting for Todd to follow.  
  
Todd raises his eyebrow at Kurt's intake of breath. Was that a reaction to the touch..? /Probably just freaked him out,/ he decides, but his mind is doubtful. There's only one way to know for sure really. When Kurt moves down, Todd slides next to him and turns around, elbows resting on the edge of the counter. "So," he sighs, giving the boy yet another sidelong glance. "Isn't this a little risky?" He indicates the exposed fur by running his elbow along Kurt's forearm (too slowly to be casual, too quickly to be sensual) and waits to gauge the reaction, unsure of what he wants it to be.  
  
Kurt's stomach performs a not-altogether-unpleasant flip at the contact, dropping like a stone when the contact's lost. He throws Todd a questioning glance; he still seems unaware of the effect the casual touching is having on Kurt, his relaxed posture displaying no signs of either mischief or interest. Kurt looks down at his bare arms, seemingly pale and smooth, and fleetingly wishes his inducer wasn't on. Somehow it seems vitally important that Todd see him as he is, not as he often pretends to be. He shakes his head, slowly, suddenly reminded that Todd asked him a question. "I, uh...I don't know. Yeah, I guess it is. I've gotten used to being careful, though, avoiding people. It's not so dangerous anymore. I just felt like a change, you know? Seemed...appropriate, somehow."  
  
Todd smirks. "Careful, huh? If I was someone else and I accidentally did this," He pushes away from the counter and intentionally sweeps his hand and arm across Kurt's, moves around him, and settles on the other side, grinning roguishly. "You'd have a lot of explainin' to do, yo." His smile lingers a moment more before he turns away in the wake of realizing what he's doing. He's fucking flirting with the guy.  
  
Blushing furiously, Kurt trains his eyes on the floor, at a loss for something to say. "Um...I don't usually let people get that close." Realizing how that could be interpreted, he quickly amends, "I mean, people who don't already know! I don't let them get too close, really." He stares down at his bare arms again, sighs, and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Maybe the shirt wasn't such a good idea."  
  
"You, uh.. you look good in it, though," Todd blurts out, subsequently biting his tongue. Luckily, he doesn't have enough time to feel stupid as the sound of a tray sliding on the counter behind him offers a way out of his oncoming embarrassment. "Oh look, food's here," he quickly notes, turning around.  
  
Kurt's blush only deepens at Todd's words, and he snatches up the tray, gives Todd a nervous smile, then hurries over to an empty table in the back of the restaurant.  
  
Todd notes the uneasiness in Kurt's smile and mentally kicks himself for letting the words slip out of his mouth. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he sighs and follows the other boy to the booth, sliding into the seat across from him. "So," he says, slumping into the cushion and wondering where to go from here. He takes a moment to eye the food on the table: burgers with everything and oh GOD, were those chili fries? Todd has to do everything in his power not to start shoveling food into his mouth; he's so fucking hungry. "So, uh, how much did the total come to, man?" He grabs a few fries and debates whether or not he should just stuff him in his mouth like he normally would or eat them one by one...  
  
Oh, what the hell? He's already made a fool of himself, so why start worrying about it now? Free of inhibition, he crams the fries into his mouth, looking at Kurt expectantly.  
  
At least he's careful not to spill the chili on the table.  
  
Kurt can't help but laugh at the picture Todd presents, mouth stuffed full of fries and eager eyes trained on him. He smiles, thankful for a distraction, and grabs a few fries, answering between bites. "It was about ten. *munch* But don' worry about it, man, *munch* my treat!"  
  
"All right, fool, whatever you say." Grateful that the awdwardness is gone for the most part, he grins and pulls his burger in front of him. "So, what's up, man? What'd you do today?" he asks as he removes the bun and starts picking off the onions, tomatoes, and pickles, a habit he's had for as long as he can remember.  
  
Popping another fry in his mouth, Kurt follows suit, grabbing his burger and peeling off the mustard-encrusted onions. He always forgets to ask them to hold the onions. "Just the usual stuff, for the most part. Logan's back, so I spent most of the hours after the phone call trying to avoid him." He sighs, remembering what Kitty had told him of Wolverine's behavior; the man had stalked around the mansion for over an hour, asking everyone in sight where Kurt was. Soon as he'd heard that, Kurt took to the grounds, hiding in the trees and 'porting often. "Apparently he was out picking up a new student. But the Professor doesn't have any other jobs for him to do, so I figure I'd best brush up on my avoidance techniques."  
  
"New student, huh?" /Great,/ Todd inwardly grumbles. /Just what we need, another X-Geek running around./ Despite his sour feelings, though, his face remains neutral, intent on continuing the chit-chat. "What're they like?"  
  
"He's, uh...interesting." Kurt recalls the pale, black clad teen the Professor had presented to them that afternoon and smirks. "Not exactly the friendly type. He's British, and seems really fond of the color black. He was glaring daggers at Scott the whole time too, I think they might've had some sort of confrontation just before."  
  
Todd smirks. "Heh, hope he kicks Summers' ass later." Totally disregarding the fact that he's badmouthing one of Kurt's closest friends, he coolly replaces the bun on his burger and takes as big a bite as he can manage. Damn, he's hungry. "So, what are his powers?" he asks around a mouth full of meat.  
  
Normally Kurt might've taken offense on Scott's behalf...if he was feeling generous. But after the incident with the phone call earlier, he's entertaining thoughts of doing a little ass-kicking of his own. He finishes off a few more fries, then dips the remaining half of his burger in the puddle of chili left behind. "They didn't say what his powers are yet. Some sort of projectiles, I think. Destructive ones." 'But then how many projectile powers AREN'T destructive?'  
  
Todd nods, logging the information away to share with the Brotherhood later. Hey, it ain't like he forced the info out of the fuzzball; he answered of his own free will... which makes Todd wonder: how much more could he learn just by asking? He quickly shakes the thought away, though, and takes a sip of his drink, averting his eyes from Kurt's. He may be a 'bad guy' in the eyes of the X-Geeks, but he's not about to go betraying people's trust.  
  
..not that he isn't betraying someone's trust by simply being here with Kurt. He sighs and sets the rest of his burger on the table, his appetite suddenly gone. Man, this is so fucked up...  
  
'That's not a sound I want to hear.' Kurt's ears perk at the sigh, and his hands clench slightly as he watches Todd set his burger down. Nervous, his voice wavers almost inaudibly, as he asks, "Something wrong?" then blushes furiously, lowering his eyes to the leftover food scattered about the table.  
  
Todd brings his attention back to Kurt and smiles weakly. "Nah, I'm cool, yo. Just a little full," he lies. "You want the rest of these, man?" He nudges his fries across the table and wraps the rest of his burger in a napkin.  
  
Kurt accepts the fries with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. It's obvious there's more to Todd's sudden sullenness than being 'just a little full', but truthfully Kurt's afraid to find out what the real issue is. So many of the possibilities involve him; most of them, in fact. He's not sure if he could handle it if it turned out that was the case. So he falls back on small talk, avoiding Todd's eyes. "So...what about you? Was your day good?"  
  
"It was eventful, dawg, that's for sure," Todd answers, his smile morphing into somewhat of a worried grin as he recalls his argument with Lance. God damn, is he ever gonna get shit for this when he gets home. "Expect to see me in a wheelchair tomorrow, man." He snickers, but even HE isn't sure if he's joking or not, and the laugh quickly fades into a dull 'heh' as he clears his throat.  
  
Oh god. Kurt's insides are suddenly ice, and he's again struck by just how dangerous this is, on both sides. Guilt starts to claw at his mind, Todd's nervous tone playing back over and over in his thoughts. He starts to reach across the table, but his fingers stop just short of Todd's sleeve, hand instead forming a loosely held fist and dropping to the table. He nearly whispers, "Todd, listen...If this is going to..." Why is his voice so damn unsteady? He forces himself to meet Todd's gaze, eyes hopefully not as fearful as they feel. "...I don't want to cause you trouble."  
  
/You're just now thinking about that?/ Todd wants to ask, but the genuinely concerned look in Kurt's eyes causes him to bite back the comment. Sporting what he hopes is a winning smile, he echoes something the other boy told him not but a few days ago: "Hey, this is ME we're talkin' about, fuzzy. Trouble is my middle name, remember?"  
  
Kurt sighs, averts his gaze, and idly pokes at his fries. "Even if trouble seems to stalk you, doesn't mean you have to invite it over for dinner. I'm just saying...If it's too much, just say so," without raising his head he glances up at Todd, searching his features, then lowers his eyes to the table again. His voice becomes a near whisper. "I'm not worth it."   
  
Todd doesn't like where this is going. Kurt's doing a total one-eighty from what he'd said at school earlier, and it's confusing the hell out of him. Not worth what? Getting beaten up over? Hell, Todd gets beaten up every other day, so it's not something he isn't used to. But Lance, the way he was looking at him before, the raw anger flashing in his eyes and the disdain dripping in his voice--those are things Todd definitely isn't used to. He sighs and lowers his head, trying to will away the headache forming in his temples.  
  
Essentially it comes down to choosing between this..thing..with Kurt and his friendship with Lance, and that just isn't something he can decide. He can't say it's worth it, because that would be betraying every laugh, every joke, every secret he ever shared with Lance, and he can't do that, doesn't even want to consider it. But at the same time... he wants to go through with this. He knows that if he just turns and walks away from it now, he'll never be able to forget about it and damnit, that's the whole reason why they decided not to pretend it never happened, right? But how do you convey all this in words? And how do you offer solace to someone who seems to have no more self-esteem than you do? Todd is at a loss. He looks at Kurt and smiles feebly, nervously playing with the ripped material at the knees of his jeans. "I'm not worth it either, yo, but here you are anyway."  
  
Taken aback, Kurt jerks up in his seat, sitting straight-backed and staring Todd in the face. Despite what he knows of Todd, he truly doesn't expect what he sees; the glaring evidence of wounded pride and weakened self-esteem so closely mimics what he sees in the mirror almost every morning. Kurt suddenly wishes he'd taken the chance to touch him earlier, wants to lay a comforting hand on his arm but he's now out of reach. "From where I'm sitting, you are," he offers feebly.  
  
Todd blinks. Where did that come from? Nobody's ever told him he was worth anything; in fact, he's outright been told just the opposite.. and when you spend your whole life being pushed away and told that you're worthless and unwanted, you can't help but start believing it after a while. He wants to protest, wants to ask Kurt why he thinks he's worth anything, but Todd can't find his voice. Instead, he averts his eyes, pushes himself out of the booth, and picks up his burger. "Um, it's getting late," he finally manages, eyes trained firmly on the table. "Did you wanna do anything else..?"  
  
Unwilling to let the night end yet, despite the change in tone, Kurt searches frantically for an excuse to keep going, being deliberately slow in putting the garbage on their tray and grabbing what's left of his burger. They had decided earlier that the book store would be a good place to hang out, but the last few minutes have left him feeling restless and claustrophobic; all he really wants to do is start moving, as long as Todd's with him. He dumps their trash in the garbage can, leaves the tray on top, and heads for the door. "Um...it looks nice out. Wanna walk for a while?"  
  
/Why not?/ Todd muses. He has to walk home anyway, and having some company might help keep his mind from wandering too much. Though, consider who he's with, it might just wander more, but that's beside the point. "Sure," he says, wan smile returning as he starts wandering back toward the counter. He nods towards the burger in his hand. "Just lemme get a bag for my--aw, crap." He stops suddenly, the palm of his free hand meeting his forehead with a quick smack.  
  
The relief Kurt feels at Todd agreeing is short-lived. Hand already on the door, he turns back at the sound of skin hitting skin. "What? What's wrong?"   
  
"Argh, I forgot about Freddie, man," Todd grumbles. "Told him I'd bring him back some food since he couldn't come with me." He looks up, grinning sheepishly at Kurt, hoping he gets the message.   
  
Glad that that's all that's wrong, Kurt joins Todd at the counter, pulling out his wallet as he goes. "You can owe me," he grins. "What's he want?"   
  
Todd snickers. "What DOESN'T he want, you mean." Turning to the cashier, he starts naming off several food items, from burgers to chili fries to cheese-covered onion rings and ranch dipping sauce. The poor kid at the counter looks as though he's about to have a nervous break down; his fingers can't keep up with the rate Todd's listing food. Finally, Todd looks at Kurt and grins. "I owe you big time, fool. Oh," he catches the frazzled cashier's attention again and quickly adds, "Don't forget the diet coke."  
  
With a exagerrated, melodramatic moan Kurt pulls out another bill, larger than before, and drops it on the counter. "There goes that Weird Al DVD I wanted," he laughs.  
  
Todd waves his hand dismissively. "Hey, don't worry, yo. I'll pay you back. How much did it come to?" He looks at the register, sees the price, and commences nervous eye-twitching. "Eh-heh. That is, I'll pay you back in increments of five bucks a week for the next two months."  
  
With a feigned grab at his heart, Kurt exclaims, "Mein gott! Next time, you're treating. I don't think my meager budget can handle anymore." Fishing another bill out of his wallet he pays the kid at the register, gets his change, and again takes up post on the pick-up side. Leaning against the counter, back to the kitchen, he regards Todd with a grin. "Fancy meeting you here."  
  
Todd smirks and sidles next to the other boy, mimicking his posture. "Deja vu, man," he says, brushing his arm against Kurt for effect. Though, this time, it's much less discreet.  
  
The fluttering in Kurt's stomach is most definitely familiar. He lowers his head shyly, silently curses himself for acting like a 13 year old girl with a crush, and instead peers at Todd through the bangs falling into his eyes. "If we don't watch out some of these things might become habit." 'Not that that would be a bad thing...'  
  
Todd frowns and pulls away. "Sorry," he mutters, frustration mounting. Why the hell does Kurt have to send so many fucking mixed signals? He's about to be daring and ask as much aloud when a sharp 'ahem!' from behind yanks him from his thoughts. He turns to see an irate, pimple-faced kid holding a large bag that holds three smaller bags that presumably (hopefully) holds Freddie's food. Sighing, Todd takes the large bag, boggles over how heavy it is for a moment, and then proceeds to the door. "C'mon," he mumbles without a glance.  
  
Kurt hurries to get the door for Todd, who looks to be struggling a bit. His face flushes at Todd's tone, and guilt sweeps over him for what must be the hundredth time tonight. He hadn't really meant as it had apparently been taken. "I should be sorry," he struggles to explain. "I didn't mean anything by that, honestly. I was...actually kind of hoping we would keep doing this. Often."  
  
Todd hesitates before walking out the door, regarding Kurt curiously. He isn't sure how to respond to that, but he will admit that the idea doesn't sound bad. A smile threatens to tug at his lips, but he instead turns away and, in mock-anger, growls, "Then take one of these fucking bags, fool, and I'll do whatever the hell you want."  
  
"Oh! Oh, right, sorry..." Still flustered, Kurt grabs one of the larger bags, nearly spilling the jumbo drink he's carrying in the process. Once everything's finally settled, he starts walking, glancing back to make sure Todd's following. "So..." giving into impulse, he lets a mischievous grin curl across his lips, "...'whatever the hell you want', huh?"  
  
Todd scurries up beside the other boy, finally giving in to the urge to grin. "S'what I said, yo," he responds, nudging Kurt playfully, his smile converting to an all-out leer. "Why? You got something in mind already?"  
  
'I should probably be disturbed at this change in tone,' Kurt thinks idly, before the sudden, persistant tingling starts in his chest and spreads immediately southwards. With a devilish grin of his own, he nudges back. "Let's just say that of the things I want to repeat, not all of them happened tonight." 'Or with this many clothes on,' his happily rebellious brain adds.  
  
Todd's grin falters for a second. He definitely was not expecting to receive such a straight-forward response. He recovers quickly, though, and raises his eyebrow at Kurt suggestively. "Oh really?" he all but purrs. "You know, it's only about nine o'clock.." He trails off and looks ahead, letting the other boy make of that what he will.  
  
Kurt goggles at Todd for a moment, part of him having not really expected the advance to be responded to. It's not like they haven't done things already, but this is a very different situation. Until about ten minutes ago he was certain that neither of them were ready to take those steps again. But are they? Whatever kind of relationship this is going to develop into, it's just barely begun. They're still no more than one or two steps up from rivals and enemies. Do they really want to start this now? Would that just prove that what they've got is little more than mutual physical want, without need of connection?   
  
Kurt stares at Todd, mind whirling; his inattention proves to be all the crack in the sidewalk needs to trip him up. He falls, just barely managing to catch himself by grabbing Todd's shoulder, luckily with the hand NOT carrying the drink. The bag in his hand hits Todd's shoulder then slips from his grip, landing right-side-up on the sidewalk. "Sorry," Kurt gasps, struggling to his feet. His nerves are suddenly exploding, one by one, stretching out from the point of contact, his palm, ground zero; his doubts are replaced by the one overwhelming question of where can they go to get some privacy.  
  
"Whoa!" Todd stops mid-step as he's pulled down by his shoulder, and immediately whirls around. "Hey, you okay man?" The playfulness in his voice is gone as is the provocative glint in his eye, both replaced by surprise and concern.  
  
"Gah, yes, I'm fine." Blushing furiously Kurt manages to straighten up, hand still resting lightly on Todd's shoulder. "Some athelete, huh? If Logan had seen that he'd have my tail in the Danger Room for reconditioning." Slowly he notices a chill on his free hand, and looks down to see that the top of the soda popped off, covering his hand in the liquid. "Aw man..." Instinctively he switches the cup to his other hand and sticks his thumb in his mouth, trying to get most of the drink off before wiping his hand on his pants.  
  
Todd snickers, reaches in to the bag, and produces a few napkins. "Hey, don't worry about it, yo." He offers the napkins to Kurt, a sympathetic smile gracing his features. "At least you didn't fall and grind your face into the concrete. I speak from experience when I say that ain't no picnic, man."  
  
Kurt winces. "Yeah, I can imagine." Cleaning his hand quickly, he stuffs the napkin in one of his pants' many pockets, then reaches down and picks up the bag he'd dropped, checking to make sure the food's okay. "No harm done, thankfully. Shall we?" he gestures to the sidewalk ahead with an apologetic smile.  
  
"Let's shall, elf-boy." Grinning, Todd nestles his free hand into his pockets and continues walking at a leisurely pace, eyes fixed on the cracks in the sidewalk. He wonders where they're going, what they should do next, and his mind briefly muses over his earlier suggestion, then quickly reminds him what Kurt's reaction to THAT had been. Thankfully, he'd only been half-serious, though his little Todd Hormones were protesting with tiny picket signs around his lower abdomen. Clearing his throat, he regards Kurt with a sidelong glance and asks, "Soo.. what now, fool?"  
  
"Er..." What DOES happen now? Kurt's thoughts stray back to that happy little place they'd occupied a few minutes ago, eliciting a desperately stifled shudder. Not yet, it's way, WAY too soon. Isn't it? A chill breeze ruffles his fur, reminding him again of gentle fingers and caressing skin, and he squeezes his eyes shut with a steadying breath. Heat is starting to rise in his abdomen, making him feel flushed and just this side of too warm. But as long as they keep moving nothing can happen...   
  
A park slowly comes into view up ahead, with a small playground inside. Kurt swallows against the nervous lump suddenly forming in his throat. "Hang on...do you want to, uh, sit down, for a minute?"  
  
Eyebrow quirked with curiosity, Todd shrugs, idly wondering at the boy's sudden anxious tone. "Uh, sure. You okay, man?"  
  
"Okay, why wouldn't I be okay?" His voice nearly cracks, and Kurt silently curses himself. 'Nervous much?' Clearing his throat, he responds, and is relieved to hear his voice is more steady this time. "No, I'm fine, really. It's uh...just a little hot out here, that's all." They reach the park and he cuts off towards the playground, feeling the grass give slightly under his feet. He takes a seat on one of the forsaken swings, setting the food on the grass to the side, and begins rocking slowly, forward and back.   
  
Todd stops for a moment when he reaches the grass, eyes narrowed at Kurt in confusion. /Hot?/ he wonders. /Damn, I was just about to wish I had a jacket./ Shrugging again, he joins Kurt at the swings and sits down, starting slightly when the chains let out a shrill squeak in response. "Man, I ain't been on one of these things since I was ten or something.." he notes almost wistfully, gladly setting the bag down at his feet.  
  
Briefly Kurt wonders what Todd was like at that age, before the far more pressing matter of the heat still racing through his body kicks all other thoughts out of his head. He stares at the empty slides and monkeybars, unable to speak, until the silence borders on oppressive. He's suddenly desperate to touch Todd, to grab his hand or brush fingers across his arm, but can't find a reasonable excuse to. Clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration, he focuses his gaze on his knees, drowning in silence.  
  
Uncomfortable silence, at that. Todd sighs, idly drumming his fingers on his knees as he rocks back and forth, enjoying the soft breeze that blows coolly against his face, ruffling his hair. Head tilted to the side, he observes Kurt with interest, noting the boy's downcast eyes, uneasy posture, and the anxious way he keeps opening and closing his hands. "You sure you're all right, dawg? You seem kinda tense."  
  
Kurt jumps at the sound. "Yeah, yeah I'm...No, not really." He smiles at Todd, apologetically. "I just..." 'Oh what the hell...' He gives in to the impulses screaming through his brain, leaning in close and laying his hand gently on Todd's. A small shock passes through his fingers and up his arm at the contact. He stares into amber eyes, trying to convey the silent question for permission.  
  
/This is weird./ Todd gawks at the hand on his, flutters of shock and delight making their rounds throughout his body. /Very weird./ Goosebumps form at the base of his neck and creep down his arms, stopping at the point of contact. He's beginning to feel warm, too warm, and is grateful for the gust of wind that wafts by, cooling the blush he's certain must be present. Brows laced with uncertainty, he seeks out Kurt's eyes and silently asks why.  
  
The response Todd gives him is a questioning look, obviously asking why. Kurt's only problem? He doesn't know why. All he knows is that seeing Todd blush is stoking the heat in his stomach; that feeling his skin, so warm beneath Kurt's fingers, fuels the need for more intimate contact. He closes his eyes slowly, turning his face to the sky for a moment as he struggles to sort through the impulses and desires of both mind and body, running his thumb gently along the spaces between Todd's fingers.   
  
Upon receiving no answer, Todd sighs and watches Kurt's thumb play over his fingers, fur stroking flesh, his skin tingling with every caress. The little jolts of pleasure making their way up his arm are both rousing and terrifying, and he wonders why he hasn't pulled away yet. This affection isn't something he's used to; it's something he'd never even imagined obtaining, but now that he has it...  
  
He shakes his head, recalling the conversation he had with Lance over the weekend in which he vehemently denied being queer. For the most part, he was certain he wasn't, being of the mind that you can pretty much fuck anyone when you're good and randy, but you don't nuzzle another guy's neck or sit on a swing and hold his hand, then go home and proclaim your resolute heterosexuality. So what does that mean, then..?  
  
Regretfully, he pulls his hand away and rests it on the chain, eyes trained on the ground below. "What do you want outta this, man..?" he suddenly asks.  
  
Taken aback, Kurt trains his eyes on Todd's again, blinking in surprise. "I..." What kind of question is that, and how does a guy answer it when he doesn't -know- what he wants? He clutches his rejected hand to his chest; it tingles, nerves firing painfully, and his chest is suddenly aching with tension. He throws a longing glance at Todd's hand, that he'd touched for such a brief moment, and his breath catches in his throat. "What do I want?" Contact, intimacy, acceptance- "I...I wish I knew." Eyes falling to the ground and hands moving to the chains of the swing, his voice lowers. "I just want to touch. To feel. To try to understand what there is between us, what I keep feeling when you're around."  
  
Todd's stomach tightens and he nervously shifts on the swing, head swimming with ideas of what those words might mean. His mouth goes dry, but even if it hadn't, he isn't certain he'd know what to say. Talking about one's feelings isn't a conversation he partakes in on a regular basis (if he ever has), and the only person he's ever been marginally open with is Lance, so this type of situation is quite foreign to him. It stands to reason that he should say something or, at the very least, consider what his own feelings are, but he can't seem to focus on anything, and instead closes his eyes and slouches, looking utterly lost.  
  
Kurt's entire body tenses, fear crawling icily up his spine. The confusion is back, stronger than before, tearing at his insides without mercy, and he has to know if this is going to end in another rejection, more pain. Mouth dry, he tries to ask the question that it all centers on, what Todd wants, but nothing seems to come out. So he waits, shamelessly pleading gaze darting to the other boy every few moments and blood pounding in his ears.  
  
The silence is deafening. Frowning, Todd stops the swing from rocking and looks at Kurt, the boy's eyes wordlessly pleading with him, but he doesn't know what to say. He hasn't a clue what he wants, but he wishes things would go back to the way they'd been not but a few minutes ago, the two of them having a fair amount of fun while lightheartedly flirting with one another. He isn't sure when the situation veered off course into this atmosphere of awkward silence, but he hopes he can find a way out. There's just too much to process at the moment and he'll need some time to sort through it. "So," he sighs. "I.. what do you wanna do..? I mean, about.. about right now, man? I mean.. fuck, I don't know what I mean, yo." He scowls at the slide ahead, wishing he could will all his frustration on to it..  
  
Kurt bites his lower lip, a bit too hard. Looks like the answers aren't coming, not tonight anyway. Maybe they just need to slow down, think things through more carefully than they've been able to. They've got the time...right? 'Assuming Logan or Lance doesn't kill one of us...' He sighs, a wavering, pathetic sound that he hates himself for. "Um...maybe we should get going again." He bends over to grab one of the bags and the drink, not quite able to meet Todd's gaze.  
  
Todd doesn't respond. The words don't even register until he sees Kurt stand up and start walking away, drink and bag in hand. He frowns as he rakes his mind violently, searching for something to say, something to do. He may be confused and uncertain about this whole state of affairs, but he's sure about one thing: the night can't end on a somber note like this, not when things were starting to look up earlier. "Hey.. hey, wait!" He leans forward and grabs the other boy's wrist, eyes wide as he watches the hologram around Kurt quickly fizzle out of existence. He glances down at his hand... at the wrist in his hand, noting the inducer and the tiny yellow button cushioned under his thumb. "Eh, sorry.." He knows he should probably let go and allow Kurt to remedy the problem, but all he can do is sit and stare stupidly. And to top it off, he forgot what he was gonna say, damnit.  
  
Kurt looks down at the warm hand on his wrist, only to find his own fur in view. His first reaction is to shoot a panicked gaze over the area, instinctively making sure they're alone. Feeling exposed, he moves to pull away, initially desperate to reset the hologram. But he can't force himself out of Todd's comforting grip, doesn't really want to; it's making his whole arm tingle pleasantly, and he realizes he wants Todd to see him like this. He doesn't want to hide, not from him. So all he can do is stare at his own wrist, and the pale fingers wrapped around it, stammering, "N-no, it's...it's okay. Really."   
  
Todd allows his gaze to linger a moment longer before fixing it on the ground, his grip loosening around Kurt's wrist as he sighs. "I don't know what the hell I want, man," he begins, voice filled with apology and frustration. "But I do know I.. I was havin' a good time with you earlier and.. and I.. and.. fuck!" Growling, he looks up again, seeking out the other boy's eyes, finding them laced with encouragement and curiosity, brows drawn together in slight confusion. Todd is at a loss, however. Can't find his voice, doesn't know what to say, doesn't know what would be considered right or wrong at this point, or what would be welcome or unwelcome. /This would be so much easier if I was high,/ he idly reflects.  
  
"Screw it." He slowly stands up, pulling Kurt closer to him before he lets go, hesitently and gently cupping either side of the boy's face. Closing his eyes, he leans in, pressing their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss, hoping it makes up for the things he doesn't know, the questions he can't answer. The contact is brief, but his lips tingle when he pulls away and takes a step back, watching for a reaction.  
  
The kiss is everything Kurt could have hoped for; gentle, pure, and so very reassuring. The fear of rejection disappates almost immediately, warmth spreading and overpowering the empty chill that had filled his stomach moments ago. The bag and cup drop from his limp hands, unnoticed; he closes his eyes and leans into Todd's smooth lips, and when they part, a soft sigh escapes him. Opening his eyes slowly, he regards Todd, a slow smile creeping across his face. "Thank you," he whispers.   
  
Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Todd grins sheepishly and scratches at the back of his neck, averting his eyes. "Uh, don't mention it?" He's certain there's a crimson tint to his cheeks, but he honestly doesn't care because the kiss was nice. Very nice. In fact, it was so nice that he considers doing it again.. and would have, if only that wet and sticky feeling in his shoes wasn't distracting him so. "The fuck, yo.." He looks down and frowns, lightly kicking the empty cup away, its contents now watering the grass and being absorbed by Todd's shoes and socks. A little bit of his jeans, too, damnit--he hopes it doesn't stain. "Ah shit.. I hope Freddie ain't thirsty."  
  
"Huh?" Kurt replies intelligently, and follows Todd's gaze to the empty cup and Todd's wet shoes. "Dude, I am so sorry!" He blushes furiously, bending over and grabbing the bag to rummage for a napkin.  
  
Todd chuckles and kneels next to Kurt. "Man, it's fine! Don't worry about it. I just might hafta walk barefoot for a while, but it's cool, yo. Napkins are in the other bag, anyway." He gently pulls the other boy's hand away from its rummaging and taps on the inducer. "You might wanna turn this back on, by the way. No sense taking chances, ya know?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Chances." Kurt blushes slightly at Todd's touch, his grin widening. Seems like all they've done for the past few days has been take chances. Well...what's one more? Pushing the bag out of the way with one hand, he leans over, right hand raising to gently trace the line of Todd's jaw. He pauses, lips centimeters from Todd's, their breath mingling in the chill air between them. "Ich wünsche Sie*," he whispers before closing the distance, capturing Todd's lips fervently.  
  
The first thing Todd does is wonder what the hell the other boy just said--/Ick wench see?/--but his mind doesn't have enough time to go over it before all thoughts other than 'lips good yes gimme' are evaporated. He hums, leaning into the kiss, opening his mouth invitingly while his hand gropes around Kurt's arm, desperate for something to hold on to. Settling on a furry elbow, Todd's other hand scrambles around for something to use as balance, the grass being too wet and sticky for his comfort. He comes into contact with Kurt's thigh and grins inwardly, resting his hand there and giving a mischievous squeeze.  
  
Kurt moans into Todd's mouth at the fingers squeezing his flesh, and he instinctively clutches at Todd's hand, pressing it to his thigh. Winding his other hand in Todd's hair, he deepens the kiss, letting his tongue play across teeth and lips and tongue, immersing himself in the Todd's heat. It's distracting, to say the least; so distracting that the slight rumbling under their feet doesn't register until it strengthens, the ground beginning to shake violently. Surprised, Kurt loses his balance, falling forward onto Todd.  
  
Todd lets out a strangled yelp as he's suddenly on his back with an armful of Kurt.. and as pleasing as that sounds, the intense quaking of the ground below rudely distracts him from enjoying it. "The hell.." he wonders, voice vibrating with the tremors. "An earthquake?" ..or an Avalanche? He immediately feels ill. Pushing Kurt off of him, he turns over and sits up, looking for the source of this disturbance as he waits for the shaking to subside. "Fuck, not now.. not now, man.."  
  
Lance really hadn't expected this. He'd given up on the idea of hunting Todd down, deciding to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. Seeing him and the fuzzball sucking face on the side of the road, however, left little doubt. They were so into each other they hadn't even noticed the jeep screeching to a halt, Lance getting out, or the first rumblings the ground made in response to his surge of emotion. Now they lay on the wet dirt, a pile of limbs, and he towers over them, face contorting in rage. "TOAD..." he growls, dangerously.  
  
Kurt can't help the choked cry that escapes his throat. No one could deny Lance's intimidation factor, and Kurt's never seen him this angry before, his face red, eyes murderous, and fists clenched and white knuckled. Involuntarily he leans back, trying to put distance between them.  
  
Todd wishes Lance would stop the ground from shaking, if only so he could gather his thoughts. He scrambles to his feet, but to no avail as he promptly falls on his rear when the ground brutally jars beneath him. The water on the grass is now soaking through his jeans quite uncomfortably and all he can think about is how this day really HAS gone from all right to bad to fucking awful. "Lance! Lance, calm down, man.." /Yes, really, there's no reason to be upset; I was merely swapping spit with the enemy when I was actually supposed to be back home in my room. Let's talk about it over a cup of tea, shall we?/ Todd notices the murderous glint in Lance's eyes and gulps, clearing all nonsensical thoughts from his head. "I am so dead, yo..."  
  
Eyes rolling back into his head, Lance pours his rage into the ground with a heavy stomp, not caring about the strain it will cause him. The earth cracks and rents, a deep furrow tearing through it, separating Todd and the fuzzball. Only then does he stop, letting the ground still slowly while he forces down the migraine now pounding at his temples. "Toad, get in the car. NOW," his tone brooks no argument, his hateful glare trained on Fuzzy instead of Todd.  
  
Todd obediently pushes himself to his feet, mud-caked denim clinging to his legs. He takes a step, but stops before going further, instead looking back at Kurt with eyes betraying nothing but the complete uncertainty he feels. Biting the inside of his cheek, he sighs and hangs his head. This is exactly the kind of choice he didn't want to make. Loyalty or betrayal, friendship or pleasure.. the choice is simple, one would assume, but the easiest problems are sometimes the hardest to solve.  
  
Glancing at his teammate, he's suddenly overcome with guilt and he has to avert his eyes, a wave of nausea washing over him like a swell of goo. He ignores Lance for the moment, once more looking across the groove separating Kurt and himself, wishing the other boy would look at him so he could convey his apology for the decision he's about to make.  
  
Heart pounding, Kurt's gaze is locked on Lance's, the other boy's hate-filled eyes momentarily driving away all thoughts but that of self-preservation. Then Kurt senses Todd stirring, and looks over to see him standing, staring back at him. The look in his eyes makes Kurt's blood run cold, the heartbreaking uncertainty and apology for what Kurt can't stand for him to do. He wants to stall him, stop him, beg him if he has to, but his mouth seems filled with sand and his mind isn't supplying the words.   
  
Todd slowly shakes his head, a gesture that says exactly what it means to: no. No, I can't stay. No, it's not worth it. No, this is the way it has to be. No... sorry. Tearing his gaze away, he quickly kneels down to retrieve Freddie's food and laggardly shuffles in the direction of the jeep. The sprinklers have chosen this inopportune moment to spring to life, getting the bags, his shirt, his hair, everything wet, but he barely notices. The only thing he is aware of is his shoulder hitting Lance's arm as he forcefully shoves past the older boy, resentment starting to build.  
  
Lance glares at Todd as he goes by. Thankfully, he made the right choice, and later Lance will go easier on him for it. But at the moment there will be no backing down. As Todd slowly moves to the jeep, Lance makes his way over to the X-Geek with a heavy, threatening step. The boy's a pitiful sight; on his ass in the grass and mud, eyes wide with fear, hair now soaking wet and plastered to his face from the sprinklers everyone's disregarding. 'Too easy.' Leaning over him, Lance allows a dangerous smirk to play at his lips, pretending at a mirth that doesn't reach his eyes. Their faces mere inches apart, he raises a fist, shoving a finger at the boy's nose threateningly. Voice low, he growls, "Looks like he's made his decision, huh? Come near him again, and I -will- make you hurt."  
  
Kurt's afraid; anyone in their right mind would be, if on the receiving end of the not-altogether-sane glint in Lance's eyes. But thoughts of what the older teen interrupted flare up in his mind, drawing his frustration and anger to the fore. Fear turns to hate in his eyes; he scowls at Lance, reaches up and slaps the teen's hand away from his face, then jumps to his feet. "Who the FUCK do you think you are?!" he screams, face flushing. "What gives you the right to make his choices for him? It's HIS life, not yours. Why won't you just let him live it?"  
  
Already in the jeep, fingers gently massaging his temples, Todd hears Kurt's voice and looks up, finding the two boys face to face with one another, staring each other down. /Oh yeah, this is just what I fucking need./ "Yo, Lance!" he calls, finding it hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "I'm in the fucking car, man. Get your ass over here or I'm gonna drive it home myself!"  
  
Todd's voice barely registers over Lance's shock. The little punk is actually talking back to him. As if LANCE is the one who should feel guilty in all of this. Oh fuck no, things aren't gonna play that way, not with the mood he's in. Growling deep in his throat, Lance shoves the boy, hard; the fuzzball falls back, ending up on his ass in the mud, again. Straightening to his full height, Lance crosses his arms, standing over him and staring the boy down. "I'll let him live his life when he stops fucking it up so badly. As soon as he sees that a quick piece of tail," he smirks, "comes last in his list of priorities."   
  
Seeing Kurt hit the ground causes Todd to wince, his blood boiling with animosity. The scene almost makes him jump out of the car and give Lance a hard, swift kick in the back, but self-preservation is certainly high on his list of priorities. Besides, Kurt isn't worth it, he tells himself... Kurt isn't worth getting the shit beat out of him the next time he sees Lance, Kurt isn't worth having Lance hate him for all eternity, Kurt isn't worth saving if it means Lance will continue to ride him about this whole mess... right?   
  
Todd wishes he could say for certain, but the fact of the matter is--like every other question he's posed himself tonight--he doesn't know. He's beginning to feel like he's spent his entire existence with this comfortable bubble around himself and now water is starting to seep through, his mind screaming at him to take some breaths before life drowns him. It was always easy playing the part of a loner because he could keep people at arm's length, but now they've started pushing themselves into his personal space, his comfortable bubble, forcing him to acknowledge his emotions, and now he's beggining to realize that the world is a lot more fucked up than he originally thought. Himself included.  
  
With a sigh, he shakes the thoughts away and leans out of the car. "Lance, get in the fucking car!" he shouts. And if that doesn't do any good, he tries to seek out Kurt's eyes (but they're otherwise occupied with staring Lance down) and calls to him, "Just teleport away, man! It ain't worth it!"  
  
Eyes never leaving Lance's, Kurt yells at the car, "You're worth it." He holds Lance's gaze (not too difficult, considering Lance's determination to stare him down), and with an almost feral grin, wraps his tail slowly around Lance's ankle. The teen's pose is just enough off-balance that a quick, skillful jerk drags his foot out from under him, pulling him totally off-balance and landing him on his ass in the mud, a parody of Kurt's position. In a flash Kurt 'ports to the car, leaning over the passenger side and staring earnestly at Todd, ignoring the screams of frustration and cursing coming from Lance's position. Knowing he only has a few seconds before the teen rights himself, he opens his mouth, only to find he doesn't know what to say. Todd -did- make the choice...but why? Out of fear? Loyalty? ...Or is it that Kurt's just not worth the trouble? Suddenly uncertain, he averts his eyes, worrying his lower lip with his teeth, and whispers, "Why?"   
  
Todd frowns, bringing his hand up to touch Kurt's face, but hesitates at the last second and puts it back down, expression hardening. /Make him hate you,/ his mind tells him. /Make him hate you again and he won't get close, and Lance and everyone will leave you alone and it'll be the way it always has been./ "The way it should be," he whispers aloud, clearing his throat when he catches himself. "This is the way it should be, yo," he ammends, voice dripping with hostility. "You fighting with Lance, me fighting with Lance.. it ain't worth it, ain't worth THIS--" He gestures to himself and Kurt. "--US. We ain't nothing, man, nothing but enemies, okay? So just.. go now. Fuck off." Sitting back in his seat, he folds his arms and looks the other way, the beginnings of a migrane pounding at the back of his neck. Fucking people. Fucking people and their attempts to get to know him. Fucking emotions trying to reciprocate the attempt. He was much happier in his comfort bubble.   
  
Happier and lonelier.  
  
If Lance had just stomped over, shoved Kurt down, and performed an extended tap-dance on his person, it couldn't hurt as much as this. The words are like a physical blow to his chest; he could swear his heart stops for several beats. His blood turns to ice in his veins, suffusing him with a chill that transcends the now-cold night air, while his eyes and lungs burn with a sickly fire. All he can do is stare, trying to gain answers from Todd's unresponsive form. He desperately needs to see Todd's eyes...Not really knowing what he's doing, he reaches out and grabs Todd's shoulder, tugging at him gently, but with obvious need.   
  
Scowling at the whole scene, Lance stands to the side, waiting to see how this final move will play out, ready to jump back in at the first sign that Todd's resolve is weakening.  
  
Todd pulls his shoulder away from Kurt's grip. "I said fuck off, man." His voice now lacks the agression it held moments before, but the words aren't any less harsh. "Your head too thick to comprehend or what?" /Just GO,/ his mind wills. He's cold, he's wet, and he's sitting in a seat that absorbs water like a sponge. He's not a very comfortable Toad. He's a very confused and uncertain and emotionally retarded Toad, and he just wishes Lance would get in the fucking car so they could get home and he could bash his fucking head into a wall before he completely loses his tenacity and pulls Kurt into the car with him.  
  
Kurt jerks his hand back as if burned, and clutches it to his chest. There's moisture running down his cheeks now, not all of it from the sprinklers. Choking back a pathetic whimper, he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, turns to throw a deathly glare at Lance...then 'ports as far away as he can.  
  
Lance doesn't try to hide the triumphant grin that spreads across his face. With a self-assured gait he strides to the car, hopping over the door and settling himself in the driver's seat, turning the key left in the ignition and shifting gears. "About time he got a fucking clue."  
  
Todd doesn't give any indication that he heard Lance; he simply turns his body the other way and looks outside at the trees, the street lights, the sidewalk, unconsciously searching for something. When he sees a shadow emerging from the park, he starts and sits up slightly.. but it's only a couple taking a nighttime stroll, and he idly wonders what would have happened if they appeared any sooner.  
  
Sighing, he rests his head against the damp seat and lets the hum of the jeep lull him into a state that's as close to relaxation as he's going to get for a while.  
  
*Ich wünsche Sie. = German for "I want you." according to Systran's Translator 


	8. Scene 8

9/6/03- Another chapter and more Todd/Kurt goodness! But first, an announcement!! Desperate over the lack of Todd/Kurt to be found around the net, Bridgette and I have started our own Livejournal community to promote Todd/Kurt luvin'!! It can be found here, http://livejournal.com/community/toddkurtslash/   
  
Go, look around, and if you like and have an LJ of your own, please join!! As an added bonus, after this chapter we will begin posting chapters to the community early, so the chapters will be up there probably a day before they start showing up here. Also, anyone who wants to join but doesn't have an LJ, Bridgette happens to have a couple of codes left to spare. If you'd like one, just ask in a review or email!   
  
Okay, think that's everything. On to the angst!   
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. We don't own them, we're just kleptos who intend no harm and will return them when we're done. Please dun hurt us.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad, with plenty of other pairings probably thrown in in the near future. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.   
  
Feedback: Thoroughly glomped.  
  
Flames: Treated with the same loving care you'd expect from one Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. P.S. For those unfamiliar with him, the name should give you some clue as to what kind of care that is.  
  
Because I Got High  
  
-Scene 8-  
  
The den is thankfully empty and quiet for once--no Logan brooding by the fire, no Evan trying to talk her ear off, no Kurt trying to impress her with jokes--just the random crackle from the fireplace and the shuffle of papers each time she turns the page. Yes, nice and empty and quiet.   
  
Maybe a little too quiet.  
  
Kitty sighs and looks at the clock. 9:45pm. She's been studying for the past two hours, but she still doesn't feel any more ready for her Algebra II test than she did a day ago. She briefly considers calling it a night, but the fact that she hardly ever gets any alone time is enough to keep her there.. but who said she had to study? Tossing the math book aside, she stretches and lies down on the couch, a wayward yawn escaping her lips as her head hits the throw pillow. "Silence is SO golden.."  
  
Kurt wanders the silent halls of the mansion, heading in the vague direction of his room. Having walked most of the way back after teleporting only once, his clothes and fur are dry enough to not drip on the carpets. He'd had to abandon his shoes at the front door; muddy footprints would mean his hide were Storm to catch sight of them. The rest of him is a mess, his new clothes and exposed fur caked in mud and grass. That's twice he's come home looking this way, both times Todd's fault and both accompanied by similar emotional trauma; he's cruelly reminded of that fact as he passes the den, the site of his life-threatening encounter with Logan.   
  
He stops, pausing just in the door, and wonders, briefly, how different things would've been if he'd just listened to the man's advice instead of letting himself get involved. Tonight wouldn't have happened. Lance wouldn't want to take a chunk out of his hide; any more than usual, at least. Todd wouldn't hate him. Todd wouldn't have rejected him. ...They wouldn't have shared tender kisses, teasing caresses, moments that could so easily develop into friendship and something more.   
  
With a loud, shuddering sigh he leans against the door jamb, covering his face with his hands and willing back the heat behind his eyes.  
  
What was that? Was that sound invading her silence? Sound means someone is there, and someone there means that Kitty's alone time is alone time no longer. /Just keep quiet and they'll go away,/ she tells herself. Curious, though, she slowly phases her head through the back of the couch and sets her eyes on a form that looks vaguely like Kurt, what with the blue fur and all, but the cakes of mud, the wet hair, the grass stains.. it looks like he'd been rolling around outside after a storm. As far as Kitty knows, however, the skies are clear.  
  
Phasing completely out of the couch, she takes a few steps toward him, brow laced with concern upon seeing his dejected state. "Kurt..?"  
  
Kurt starts, jumping up from the door and shooting a look around the room until he focuses on Kitty. Silently he curses his luck, which is proving again that it doesn't exist, and debates just 'porting the hell out of there. But he's sick of hiding, and running; it's all he's been doing around the mansion for days, pretending everything is normal and avoiding Logan at all costs. He doesn't want to run anymore and, he thinks, mostly he just doesn't care now. Exhaustion claims him, and he sinks to the floor, roughly wiping at his eyes and ignoring the muddy stains he's going to leave in the carpet.   
  
Kitty watches him sink to the floor, eyes wide with worry. "Kurt?!" She kneels down next to him and lightly shakes his shoulder, noting the dampness of his shirt. "Kurt?! Like, are you okay?! Talk to me!"  
  
As she touches his shoulder, Kurt places a hand on hers, torn between needing physical contact and being repelled by it. "I'm fine," he whispers, surprised by the weakness of his own voice, then he smirks in derision. "No, I'm not actually. But hey, I'll live. That's all anyone can be expected to do, right?" He hates the self-pity dripping from his tone, but can't stop himself.  
  
Frowning, Kitty places a hand on the side of Kurt's cheek and turns his head toward hers, taken aback by the sheer sadness in his eyes; it's completely heartbreaking. "What happened, Kurt?" she asks, her voice soft and caring, though she can't hide the hint of panic. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to get someone? Like, I think Mr. Logan is in the kitchen.."  
  
"NO!" Kurt fights down the instinctive panic. "Mein Gott...No, not Logan." Okay, so maybe he didn't totally 'not care'. He shudders, mind supplying images of what Logan would do to him...and to Todd...if he found out about the night's events. He meets Kitty's gaze, making a half-hearted attempt to tone down the emotion he knows must be screamingly evident on his face. "I just...need a few minutes. Okay?"  
  
Kitty nods, though not totally satisfied. "Do you wanna talk about it?"  
  
Kurt looks away, staring at the carpet his fingers are nervously picking at. Does he want to talk about it? To some degree, he's terrified of what Kitty's reaction would be, wonders whether she'd look at him differently, perhaps even hate him for it. They're friends, and he truly believes it would take much more than even this to totally ruin that, but he's still uncertain, the cynical part of his mind taunting him with imaginings of her turning up her nose in disgust and running off to tell Logan.  
  
But as afraid as he is, he doesn't think he can handle this on his own any more. It's too much, and hurts far too badly for him to deal with alone. And he has to deal, before the memories of soft skin and whispered wants send him flying over the edge of sanity. Making the decision, he takes a deep breath...and realizes he doesn't know where to start. "I..." is all he can manage, and he rubs at his aching temples suddenly.  
  
Kitty watches him, eyes full of sympathy. When it seems he doesn't know what to say, she pats him on the leg and tugs on his shirt as she stands. "Come inside," she says, resting her hand on the doorknob. "More privacy."  
  
Getting to his feet, Kurt glances guiltily at the mud-covered spot on the carpet, then slips over to the couch, sitting down and waiting for Kitty, trying to calm his raging thoughts while doing so.  
  
After Kitty closes the door, she hesitates for a second when she sees the mud stain and tries rubbing it away with her foot. Alas, she only succeeds in smearing it further into the carpet. She cringes. "Storm is gonna flip.." Making her way around the couch, she settles down beside Kurt and rests a reassuring hand on his knee, eyeing him expectantly. "So, what happened?"  
  
"Possibly the worst mistake of my life," Kurt sighs. "I...For the past few days, I've been..uh..." he growls finally, slapping a hand to his forehead. It shouldn't be this hard...should it? 'Just say it, Kitty can deal.'  
  
"A couple of days ago, I ran into someone...and we started doing things we probably shouldn't have. I'm not even sure how it started, one minute we were arguing, the next we were fooling around, and then...things got, uh...rather serious."  
  
To say she is surprised would be an understatement, though Kitty tries not to let it show in her demeanor. Unfortunately, she's terrible at masking her emotions. "Um.. like, okay. Well.." She rubs her lips thoughtfully, looking around the room as if it would somehow provide her with things to say. In all honesty, she was expecting news that was a little more.. well, mortifying, given Kurt's sullied appearance and the mournful look on his face. Unless of course--"Oh my gosh!" she suddenly blurts out, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You didn't, like, get her pregnant or something, did you?!"  
  
"WHAT? No! God no, gah! How could you even think...I'm not that stupid!" Kurt decides to just go for it; it will be over more quickly, and it couldn't hurt any worse fast than it might slow. "...Kitty..." Wrapping his arms around himself, suddenly cold, he stares at her, judging her reaction carefully. "Kitty...it wasn't a 'her'."  
  
Kitty cocks her head to the side, brow raised in confusion. "But, if it wasn't a 'her,' then that means..." Realization suddenly dawns and she leans away instinctively, her eyes wider than she ever thought possible. After all the times he'd flirted with her, tried to impress her, exaggerated his own abilities just so she would notice him--after all that, he's.. "You.. You're," she stammers, trying to find her voice as she casts him a mixed look of surprise and disbelief. "..I didn't know you were gay.."  
  
"I'm not!" he sighs. "At least, I don't think I am. I still like girls, you know? It just...it felt so good with him. Just...right, somehow. We were gonna try it out, see how it went, right? See if anything developed...where it would lead. We'd barely even started, and it was a little rough, ja, but good, until Lance-" the words flow from his mouth, getting quicker as he goes and his need to get it all out overpowers his inhibitions. He doesn't mean to reveal Todd's involvement yet, but Lance's name slips out before he realizes what he's doing, and he catches himself, falling silent and regarding Kitty warily.  
  
Perplexed, Kitty tries to be as attentive as possible while Kurt explains himself, but she can't help the discomfort that grows when he uses the word 'him.' The idea of Kurt being with another boy is a little odd--she had him pegged as the typical straight guy: foolish, pretentious, and horny, especially considering the way he pines over girl after girl. Not that she spends her time worrying over the sexuality of her fellow X-men, mind you. In fact, that's the farthest thing from her mind, making this situation all the more strange. Being from a village in Illinois, this isn't something she's used to. Briefly wondering if it would be rude to excuse herself for a moment to absorb all this, Kurt suddenly mentions Lance and her heart skips a beat. "Lance?" she asks immediately. "What does he have to do with anything?"  
  
"He, um..." Kurt wonders how he should word it, breaking his observation of Kitty to conduct an in-depth study of the carpet. So far her body language speaks of some unease over the confession, though she's trying to hide it. All things considered it seems like she's taking it as well as can be expected. But will she be so forgiving when she finds out -who-? "Lance has been giving him a hard time over this, telling him to stop it now before things get bad. Maybe he's right...But Lance has a lot of influence over-" he's about to say 'Todd', but nerves stop him, and he struggles against the fear still clawing at his gut.  
  
"Over what? Over who?" Kitty pouts, suddenly feeling quite out of the loop. "Why hasn't he said anything to me..?"  
  
Briefly, Kurt asks himself the same question. Lance wants he and Todd to stop seeing each other; sure he can threaten Todd, but wouldn't it be doubly effective to try and turn some of Kurt's own friends against him, against them? Unless Todd asked him to keep it quiet... Kurt turns his attention back to Kitty, brows furrowed. "That, I don't know. As for who..." he takes a deep sigh, trying to steel himself and calm his screeching nerves. "It's Todd. We went out tonight, for the first time..." he frowns. "It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped."  
  
Kitty blinks, jaw dropping in utter disbelief. "Todd?! As in Todd Tolensky?! Like, TOAD?"  
  
Kurt sighs again, this time accompanied by a roll of his eyes. "Yes, that Todd." 'Really, is it so hard to believe?' he thinks, followed by, 'Don't answer that.'  
  
"Why..?" she asks suddenly, casting Kurt a skeptical look. "Um, I mean.. no offense or anything, but he isn't exactly.. umm.." She looks around the room, snapping her fingers as she tries to think of the word, but nothing comes to her. With a sigh, she aims him a sheepish grin and once again rests a hand on his knee, pushing aside her own opinions for the time being. "So what happened tonight? Did you guys fight or something?"  
  
Fighting back the urge to glare at her first comments (really, she DOES have a point) Kurt scowls. "It was...weird, that should be a given. But not really a bad weird. We got a bite to eat, then went for a walk. Then..." he rubs the back of his neck, feeling a blush spread over his nose and cheeks. "We stopped at a park. I wanted to...I'm not sure what I wanted, but we were, well..." blushing even more, Kurt averts his eyes, finding a point of great interest in the ceiling tiles. "...Anyway, out of the blue Lance appears! I've never seen him like that, he was furious! He yelled at Todd to get in the jeep..." Kurt lowers his head, staring at his hands, eyes burning. His voice grows quiet. "Todd did. He stayed there the entire time Lance and I argued, and when I finally got to talk to him..." He swallows against the heat in his throat, unable to say more, and wipes at his eyes with dirty fingers.  
  
Kitty blushes as well, shifting nervously in her seat. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what Kurt and Todd might have been doing in the park given the former's bashful hesitation. When Kurt mentions the confrontation with Lance, however, her unease is replaced with troubled concern. "What were you and Lance arguing about, anyway?" Her grip on his knee suddenly tenses. "He isn't.. you know, a homophobe or something, right? He didn't, like, try to hurt you, did he?"  
  
"No and yes," Kurt sighs. "I don't think it's so much that Todd's with a guy as that the guy happens to be me. I just...I don't know why. Because of the unspoken 'fraternizing with the enemy' rule, I guess, but out of all of them, you'd think HE would..." he glances at Kitty, decides that line might not be the best to pursue at the moment, and goes back to staring at his hands. "Anyway, we only got into a shoving match, it didn't have the chance to go any further. But I don't think that's for lack of trying on his part. He was...let's just say I've seen Sabretooth in a better mood before."  
  
Nodding, Kitty scoots a bit closer to him, smiling sympathetically. "Yeah, I know... he's got a pretty short fuse sometimes, but.." She trails off and looks down, hands now fidgeting in her lap. "I know what you were thinking," she sighs. "About he and I and fraternizing with the enemy and everything. I think it might be a little different with us, though. I mean, we haven't-" She casts Kurt a timid glance and begins toying with the hem of her shirt. "-um, well.. with you and.. and Todd, is it just, you know.." Blushing, she inwardly curses her diffidence towards the subject. It's much easier talking about these things with someone like Jean than say.. well, a BOY you sometimes regard as a brother. "Is it just fooling around, or.. or do you LIKE him?"  
  
Kurt leans back into the couch, regarding Kitty. "I don't even know. I mean, it's not just...physical," heat spreads over his face again, and he hurries on. "Maybe it started that way. It's just...he's different now. Or maybe, he's always been this way, and I was too busy fighting him to notice. We've only hung out a little but...I feel -something- around him. I'm not sure what, but it's there. I can't just turn my back on it."   
  
Worrying her lip, Kitty nods again, taking the information in stride. The fact that Kurt is talking about another boy (and not just any boy--it has to be creepy, reeky Todd Tolensky) still astonishes her, but she's slowly getting over the shock and treating the discussion the way she'd treat any situation concerning a friend asking for advice. "Well, um.. do you know if he feels the same?"  
  
Kurt cringes. There's that uncomfortable burning in his throat again. "I...thought he might. He agreed to go out, and seemed to enjoy it. But after Lance showed up..." Face hot and eyes burning with moisture, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "He said it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth fighting over...I'm not worth fighting over."  
  
"Then he doesn't know what he's missing," Kitty whispers, resting her hand lightly on his shoulder. Inside, she's seething. The fact that Kurt's sitting here, damp and muddy and broken-hearted all because of that little fly-eating deliquent really tears her up, and her brow suddenly furrows in anger and defense. "You know, just forget about him. HE's the one who's not worth it, Kurt."  
  
"Yeah, like I'm such a great catch," Kurt wrinkles his nose, gesturing to his mud-caked fur. "I wish I could forget, things would be a hell of a lot simpler. But that's the whole point, I think he IS worth it. If you'd seen him tonight, before...Mein Gott, what am I doing!" He wipes his dirty arm across his eyes, smearing mud on already wet cheeks, and thinks again of the last time he was here, with Logan. Who knew he could feel worse than he did then?  
  
Kitty frowns, genuinely wishing she could accomplish more than what little she seems to be doing. "I'm sorry.. I don't know what to say.." Seeing him like this, unhappy and forlorn and so un-Kurt-like hurts her, and she looks away to avoid the scene, saddened eyes fixed on her lap once more. "..do you want me to talk to Lance or something?"  
  
"You'd do that?" A little surprised, Kurt stares at Kitty, still wiping absently at his cheek with his palm. Hope struggles to life in his mind, alleviating some of the ache in his gut, but he quenches it quickly. "Nein, I can't ask you to. It's not worth Lance being angry with you."  
  
"Oh, I can totally handle him, don't worry," She grins and pats Kurt on the shoulder before solemnity takes over her voice again. "Just.. don't expect too much, okay? I can probably convince Lance to leave you alone and, if he's not too angry, MAYBE get him to talk to Todd... but, like, I have no bearing over what Todd thinks and I don't think he even likes me all that much, so.. you get what I mean?"  
  
"Yeah..." That flicker of hope is stubborn, it's still trying to force its way to the forefront of Kurt's mind. A melancholy smile taints his lips and he looks Kitty in the eyes, hoping his gratitude is clear enough. "Thank you, Kitty. Really."  
  
A genuine smile. "Oh c'mon, you fuzzy elf! Like, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to help you out?"  
  
"Not a very Kitty-like one," he smiles, genuinely this time. Running a hand through his hair, he flops back on the couch with a heavy sigh. "God, it feels like I'm in the middle of a soap opera. Real world, take me back, please!"   
  
Kitty giggles. "Welcome to the years of teen angst and high school drama! Better get used to it now, 'cause Jean assures me the 'fun' continues up to graduation."  
  
"Dude, I don't think I'll survive that long." Kitty's reassurances have gone a long way to calming Kurt's troubled mind. He truly relaxes, for the first time in days, letting himself sink into the couch cushions. "So what's been going on around here? Did I miss anything interesting or world-shattering?"  
  
Sitting back, Kitty props her feet on the table and looks at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Let's see... well, you know, Mr. Logan takes every opportunity to ask where you are.. oh, and actually--" She cringes slightly, casting Kurt a worried glance. "The Prof's been looking for you, too."  
  
"The Prof?!" Kurt's voice nearly cracks. Logan's scary, but somehow the thought that the Professor knows is even worse. 'How could he NOT know, with the way your head's been screaming at you for days?' "Oh god, I am so dead! That's why I've been avoiding Logan; he knows, he caught me coming home the first night. Either he told the Professor, or my thoughts were way too loud..." his eyes grow wide. "What about Storm, do you think they've told her? And Jean, oh man, she must've heard my thoughts too! What if she told Scott?" He slaps his forehead, breath coming too quickly. "The whole institute probably knows by now! I'm doomed!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa! Like, calm down!" She tries hard to keep the amusement out of her voice. Obviously, Kurt is truly worried and the concern is certainly valid, but she can't help thinking he may be jumping to conclusions just a tad. "C'mon, Kurt. Do you really think this kind of gossip would've gotten by me if the entire Institute knew? And I REALLY don't think Mr. Logan would tell anyone but the Prof about it, IF he told the Prof."  
  
Kurt makes an effort to calm his racing heart. He has to admit, this would never have gotten past Kitty, no one's more in-tune with the gossip-mill around the mansion. He's not so sure about Logan keeping quiet though. "You don't think Logan would've told anyone? He seems to think it's a threat to the team or something, wouldn't he have thought Storm needed to know? Not like it matters, he and the Prof are bad enough..."  
  
Kitty sighs, thankful that he's calmed down some. "Well, I wish I could say for sure.. but if they do all know, you're gonna have to talk to them eventually. It's not like you can hide from them forever."   
  
"No, but it won't stop me from trying," he sighs, getting off the couch to pace the floor in front of Kitty. "What am I supposed to say to them? Do you have any idea what Logan will do to me when he finds out I ignored his 'advice'? And the Professor...You know what he's like; he doesn't get angry, but I don't know if I could take his disappointment."  
  
Kitty pouts. "Well, the Professor's level of tolerance can be kinda surprising," she notes, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she watches Kurt pace back and forth, casting him a small, knowing smile. "He hasn't really said anything negative to me about Lance, so like don't be so pessimistic. And as for Mr. Logan, well, think of how upset he'll be if you keep avoiding him like this..." Tilting her head to the side, her brow furrows inquisitively and she tries to catch his eye. "What kind of advice did he give you, anyway?"  
  
"Basically what you'd expect. 'This is bad, this is gonna cause trouble, don't be stupid, think it over..' Which all interprets as 'Call it off or I'm sharpening my claws on your fuzzy blue hide'." Kurt stops pacing, rubbing the back of his neck absently as he stares into the empty fireplace. "Maybe you're right. I can't avoid them forever. ...And if Lance and Todd have anything to say about it, there might not be anything left for them to worry over."  
  
"Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow. I'll talk to Lance then..." She frowns at Kurt's back, picking up the dejection in his voice, and once again wishes there was something more she could do to help him. Being rejected hurts greatly, and for someone like Kurt--someone who seems to crave affection so desperately--the pain must be magnified significantly. Sighing, she rests her head against the sofa and puts on a feeble smile, hoping to keep the conversation light before her friend backtracks to to his earlier state of glumness. "Anyways.. maybe things will look better after you have a good night's sleep.."  
  
After a moment Kurt looks back at her, regarding her with a wan smile. She's tried so hard to cheer him up, and he's grateful, he really is. It's just going to take a little more than a friendly voice and that small hope to make things better. Still, she's trying her best. He sits back down beside her and reaches over to pull her into a hug, suddenly needing the contact. "Thank you, Kitty."  
  
"Ohh, don't get all mushy on me, Kurt!" Kitty's smile widens slightly as she pats him on the stomach. "But like, seriously.. I wish I could be more helpful. If there's anything you need, you just let me know, okay?"  
  
"Ja, will do," he smiles, patting her knee for a moment before getting back to his feet with a deep yawn and the kind of full-body stretch only an acrobat can manage. Looking back to Kitty, though, his eye's caught by the massive muddy stain on the couch, and he looks back to the carpet by the door, where the stain's twin resides. "Oh man! It's gonna take me forever to clean this place up!"   
  
Kitty's smile morphs into a full on grin. "Leave it to me!"  
  
"Kitty, I'm not gonna ask you to clean up my mess for me!" 'Well, not literally anyway,' Kurt thinks. Trying to smooth things over with Lance would definitely constitute 'cleaning up his mess' in his eyes.   
  
She waves her hands dismissively and stands up, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It'll only take a few minutes of my time, and besides, it's the least I can do!" Without waiting for protest, she strolls to the door and opens it, motioning Kurt out. "You should totally get some sleep now. You've had a rough night."  
  
Kurt wants to protest some more, but the emotionally exhausting events of the night are starting to catch up with him, and he still needs to shower before bed, to avoid uncomfortable questions in the morning. He hesitates only a few moments before giving Kitty an uncertain, but thankful look. "Are you absolutely sure?"  
  
Instant nod. "Positive."  
  
Giving a sigh of relief, Kurt steps out into the hall. "Thanks Kitty, I totally owe you! In more ways than one." He gives her the biggest grin he can manage and another quick hug. "Next time you need a taste-tester for Home Ec, you know where to turn, ja?"  
  
"I'll totally keep that in mind." Kitty winks, her grin brightening tenfold. She's relieved to see him smiling again and can only hope that her talk with Lance tomorrow will result in further smiles. Of course, she has no idea what Todd will ultimately decide to do, she reminds herself, and if he responds with further rejection, well.. at least she'll have done all she can do, right? Short of castrating the little mucker.. which she may decide to do if he hurts her teammate again. Kurt deserves a lot better.  
  
"You get some rest now," she says, clearing her thoughts and smiling at him softly. "See you at breakfast, okay?"  
  
"Have I ever missed breakfast?" Kurt laughs. "I'll see you then, Kitty. Thanks again, you're a lifesaver! Night!" With a jaunty grin and a thumbs up, he turns and bounds off down the hall, ready for a shower to wash some more of his nervousness away.  
  
Watching his retreating form, Kitty sighs and closes the door, eying the stain on the floor critically. It won't take her more than a few minutes to clean up, what with being able to phase her hand through the ground and all. Still, it'd be a lot easier if she hadn't smudged it into the carpet earlier. With a yawn, she makes her way over to the table, picks up her books, and stuffs them into her backpack, all the while running the night's conversation through her head. She's still finding it hard to believe that Kurt is into guys... into TOAD... but she's definitely not as put off by the idea as she had been when he first told her. She only wishes him the best, though it'll certainly take some getting used to.   
  
As she tosses her backpack over her shoulder, she heads out of the den toward the kitchen for a rag and some soap, mentally going over what she intends to say to Lance tomorrow. /He'll probably be pissed,/ she muses, already picturing his flushed face and angry scowl. /But a little Kitty charm should calm him down./ A smug smile decorates her features; she definitely isn't blind to the sway she has over him at times, though she tries her hardest not to take advantage of that. This is a special case, however. She just hopes it doesn't do more harm than good. 


	9. Scene 9

9/17/03- Kitty and Pietro are played by my beloved Idgiebay, Lance played by yours truly. Author's notes at the end of the fic.  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. I don't own them, I'm just a klepto who intends no harm and will return them when I'm done. Please dun hurt me.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.  
  
-Because I Got High-  
  
Scene 9  
  
The schoolyard is a light din of activity during lunch the next day. Kids laughing, talking, calling to friends across the campus, all make up a steady layer of noise that strangely doesn't seem to intrude on their own small group, making only a background impact on the heavy silence that stretches between the Brotherhood members. Lance scowls across the campus, wondering if he should go find an X-Geek to pick on to improve his mood. Of course, he knows which X-Geek he'd want it to be... Things between he and Todd have been pretty much fucked since last night, and Lance wishes he'd had a bit...okay, a LOT longer to take out his frustrations on that fuzzy bastard. He's trying really hard not to blame Todd, which means someone else has to be at fault, leaving only one obvious candidate.  
  
He regards Todd out of the corner of his eye. The boy's kneeling nearby, his expression similar to the one that's probably on Lance's face right now, an irritated scowl, directed at the ground. Lance turns away, scowl deepening. He feels justified in doing what he did; what they were doing would have lead to a world full of trouble, no way around it. He has to protect his teammates, even when they're acting like asses. But that doesn't stop the hints of guilt starting to gnaw at his stomach. All he can hope for is that he didn't strike a permanent blow to the friendship they've built up.  
  
Oh joy, just what they need...the X-Geeks come into view, sitting down at their usual table, talking and laughing casually. Briefly Lance wonders over the new guy standing beside the table (Another one? What, do they just pop up out of the fucking ground?), then his eyes fall on the fuzzball, who's staring at his food tray, uncharacteristically quiet, for once. Lance smirks to himself; at least the punk's suffering.  
  
At the lunch table, Kitty idly pokes at her food while Evan incessantly jabbers next to her, going on about the cafeteria and their recent lack of 'moo juice.' Feigning interest, she continually sneaks glances at the Brotherhood and this time finds Lance's eyes trained in her general direction. She smiles slightly, considers waving, but his countenance is hardly friendly and following his line of sight reveals his scowl to be focused on Kurt, anyway. Disappointed, she sighs, gaze resting on her teammate: he hasn't touched his food, only opening his mouth long enough to answer questions posed to him, and she doesn't think she's seen him smile all day, save for feeble mockeries of his usually lively, mischievous grins. /He really is heartbroken over this,/ she realizes with a frown, livid thoughts concerning Todd now surfacing in the back of her mind. She pushes her anger aside, however, and tries to concentrate on the task at hand. /I guess this would be as good a time to talk to Lance as any./  
  
Putting on her sweetest smile, she turns to Evan and pats him on the shoulder. "Like, I SO feel your pain! I wish I could do something for you, but I gotta talk to someone right now, write a letter to the school board or something." She stands, leaving little room for response, and casts her smile in Kurt's direction, even though he doesn't see it. Taking a deep breath, she focuses on the Brotherhood and steals toward them, mentally going over what she plans to say to Lance.  
  
"Well, lookie there." Beside Lance stands Pietro, watching with a smug grin as Kitty approaches. "It's the neighborhood pussy."  
  
From his perch beside Lance's feet, Todd remains quiet, scowl deepening.  
  
"Knock it off!" Lance snaps at Pietro, before turning his full attention to Kitty's approach. Running a quick hand through his hair and striking what he hopes is a cool, laid back pose, he crosses his arms and waits for her, all thoughts of Todd and the fuzzball temporarily forgotten.   
  
Kitty grits her teeth, though outwardly, she's sporting the most pleasant smile she can muster, doing her best to ignore the hisses and meows coming from Pietro. "Hey Lance," she says, her voice amiable. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you think we could, like, talk privately for a minute?" As soon as the words are out, a sudden feeling of being watched comes over her and a quick glance down reveals amber eyes glaring at her through a mop of dusty brown bangs. Biting her tongue is all she can do to resist snapping at Todd, reminding herself that THIS is the little ass (no pun intended) that Kurt is--for whatever reason--currently taken with.  
  
"Sure thing, Kitty!" Lance smacks Pietro's shoulder without skipping a beat or breaking eye contact, "Anything you say." With a mock bow, he grins at Kitty. "After you."  
  
If possible, Todd sinks lower to the ground and returns to scowling at the cement, jaw set tightly.  
  
Pietro simply rolls his eyes. "Such a gentleman, Alvers." Suddenly darting to Kitty's side, he leans close to her ear and whispers, "Just between you and me, the only reason he's like that is 'cause he hopes one day you'll let your kitten play with his hound dog, if you know what I mean." Nodding sagely, he's gone in a blur, once more standing beside Lance with a mischievous grin on his face. "Just sayin'." Snicker.  
  
Kitty glares. "You are such a perv, Pietro!"  
  
"Like, ouch. That hurt."  
  
Huffing, Kitty takes Lance's hand in her own and leads him away from the group with haste, guiding him around the gymnasium and near a tree that's thankfully out of both the Brotherhood's and the X-Men's sights.  
  
Lance smirks at the location, far from the eyes of both their respective groups, not to mention all the normal students milling around. Nice and private, just the way he likes it. Putting on his best grin, he leans back against the nearby tree. "So what's up, Kitty?"  
  
Masking her annoyance, Kitty aims a charming smile at Lance and decides to play it cool for now. "Oh, nothing.. I was just wondering what you've been up to. We haven't seen much of each other lately."  
  
"Nothing much," Lance says, with a casual dismissive gesture. "Just trying to keep the gang in line. They'd fall apart without someone keeping an eye on 'em." He smiles, encouraging, and tries to keep his eyes from straying south too often. "What about you? Things at the mansion going well?" Silently, of course, he hopes the answer's 'no'; any trouble for the X-Geeks is good for the Brotherhood. As long as Kitty's not -too- bothered by whatever it is, he'll revel in their discomfort.   
  
Kitty tilts her head to the side, glaring somewhat as she catches Lance's eyes wandering over her body. She clears her throat in objection. "Actually, no, things aren't going well. And I'm sure you're totally crushed to hear that." Rolling her eyes, she turns around and worries her lip, trying to keep her temper in check, though it's proving to be quite difficult. Her thoughts keep turning to Kurt, his dispirited eyes, his dejected state--it was Todd's fault, she knows, but she isn't talking to Todd right now. She's talking to Lance. Heaven help him.  
  
"What were you doing last night?" she suddenly asks, whirling around to look him straight in the eye, arms folded across her chest. She doesn't give him a chance to respond, however, before she continues, her tone quick and snappy, "Do you wanna know what *I* was doing, Lance? Hmm?"  
  
It takes a moment for the warning bells to go off in Lance's brain. Their nice, private moment has quickly and unexpectedly taken a turn for the worse, and he frowns, uncertain. "Uh...yes?"  
  
"I was talking to Kurt. Like, a totally heartbroken and muddy Kurt," she adds, eyeing lance accusingly. "Do you know how he got that way?"  
  
Oh. Shit. Panicked, Lance's eyes dart around instinctively, as if searching for an escape route. He wonders just how much the little bastard told her. 'When I get my hands on him again...' "Uh...Listen Kitty, I don't know what he told you but, uh..." His mind freezes stubbornly, refusing to give him anything to say, filling only with the repeated thought 'This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.'  
  
"Don't worry, I'll enlighten you," she snaps, advancing well into Lance's personal space. "He told me you showed up out of the blue, all angry and looking for a fight because YOU thought he was doing something wrong!"  
  
"Wasn't he?" Lance snorts, not bothering to supress his glare. He's not about to answer for this to anyone, not even Kitty. "Did the little freak tell you WHY I got after him? For what he did, he got off easy."  
  
"For what he did?" Kitty echoes, staring wide-eyed with indignation. "Like, what's he done that's so different than what you and I are doing?"  
  
Lance starts to retort, shaking a finger in Kitty's face, but can't, for the life of him, figure out what to say. He had thought the answer was obvious, really, but now that he's forced to think about it...the answers aren't coming. Won't stop him from trying, though. "This is totally different than us!" he turns, walks a few steps away, only to walk back again. "We haven't...DONE anything yet, and we didn't start 'under the influence'. And why is it such a big fucking deal anyway?! They each lose a fuckbuddy, that's it, end of story. They'll get over it."  
  
"..you really are hardheaded, aren't you?" With a sigh, she places her hands on either side of Lance's face and forces him to look her in the eye, her expression softened. "Look," she begins, thankfully much calmer. "It doesn't matter how you start. I mean, you tried to use me to get test answers when we first met.. like, how conventional is THAT?" A small smile plays on her lips at the memory. "The point is.. fooling around aside, have you ever stopped to consider that it might go beyond that? I think.. I think Kurt really likes him."  
  
Frowning, Lance covers Kitty's hands with his, idly noting the way his skin tingles at the contact. "You're not serious...are you? I mean...The fuzzball? Todd? It's insane!" He pulls back, taking her hands from his face and wrapping them in his own. "And...and even if they were, what happens when we go into battle again? Todd's still such a kid! I'm not gonna see him get hurt over this!"  
  
Kitty quirks an eyebrow, tilting her head in question. "A kid? He isn't any more of a kid than I am. Give us Freshman a little credit, will you? Besides," She pulls away and casts a sidelong glare at nothing in particular, folding her arms across her chest. "Seems like HE's the one doing the hurting."  
  
The image of Todd's scowling face plays through Lance's mind. 'Fuck.' He averts his eyes with a glare. "This is NOT gonna turn out well. Do you have any idea the shit this is gonna bring down on him? On both of them? I can't imagine Baldy would be too happy about this, or Wolverine. The boys're probably gonna hurt for it, whether I'm giving Todd a hard time or not."  
  
"..well, Mr. Logan already knows.." she mumbles.  
  
Lance's jaw drops, and he barks a sharp laugh. "I'm surprised fuzzy's still in one piece! I can't believe it, Wolverine hasn't tried to kill him yet? Or at least castrate him..."  
  
Kitty shrugs and frowns, remembering how worked up Kurt became when she asked if he wanted her to get Logan last night. "Well, I don't know the whole details.. I just know Mr. Logan stated very clearly that he didn't think it was a good idea, and so now like, Kurt's avoiding him since he disobeyed and everything. But enough of that," She casts Lance a pleading look, wearing a most earnest and friendly smile. "I need you to do me a favour."  
  
Hell, not -that- look! Lance rolls his eyes, acknowledging total defeat with a sigh. "Yeah, go ahead, name it."  
  
"I need you to talk to Toad," Pressing a finger against Lance's lips before he can protest, she continues, "Just ask him what he's thinking, if it's all fooling around to him or whatever, then let me know so I can pass it on to Kurt and they can both get on with their lives. Okay? Can you do that for me? Oh," she adds as an afterthought, "then can you, like, kick him, too? 'Cause he really hurt Kurt's feelings last night and that totally doesn't sit well with me."  
  
Lance flashes her a nervous grin. "That's assuming Todd'll talk to me. We, uh...haven't been exactly friendly since last night. As in, he hasn't said a word to me since then. Ungrateful punk."  
  
It's Kitty's turn to roll her eyes now. "Really, Lance, like what's he got to be so grateful for?"  
  
"Hey, I was just trying to look out for him!" he crosses his arms with a huff. "Try to take care of someone and they turn on you for it. That's just not right."  
  
"Yeah, he should really appreciate the fact that you shoved yourself into his business and tried to start a fight with his date last night, the little bastard," she mutters, not at all trying to mask the sarcasm dripping in her voice. Sighing, she solemnly regards Lance again and takes his hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "Look, Toad isn't one of my favorite people, but even I can see that you're a little out of line. Can you just try to stop being a big macho man for a little while and talk to him about how he feels? For me..?"  
  
The hairs on the back of Lance's neck rise; it's all he can do to keep from snapping a harsh response to her words. He takes one look in her eyes, wide and pleading for his -compassion- and -understanding-, and curses under his breath. 'When did I become such a pussy,' he asks himself, and rolls his eyes again. "Fine, whatever, as long as it'll keep me safe from the almighty wrath of Kitty."  
  
She smiles sweetly and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thanks Lance, I mean it. Will you give me a call after you talk to him?"   
  
The scent of citrus and sweet surrounds him as she comes close, and Lance finds himself leaning into the kiss, skin tingling at the gentle touch. 'Oh well, if you're gonna wuss out, might as well enjoy the fringe benefits.' By the time she moves away there's a large, and probably goofy-looking, grin plastered on his face. "Sure thing..."  
  
"Thanks, I knew I could count on you." She gives his hands one last squeeze before she turns around, glancing at him briefly from over her shoulder. "C'mon, lunch is almost over."  
  
He follows, trying really hard not to let his eyes stray south -too- often. Really. As they emerge back into the open air of the campus he spots Todd, his expression unchanged, still kneeling by Pietro and Freddie. Lance frowns to himself; he doubts Kitty has any idea how much she's asking of him. It's going to be bad enough just trying to patch things up with Todd; trying to have an in-depth, emotional discussion about the boy's feelings towards FUZZY, of all people, is something he's not sure he's ready to handle. 'The things people do...' he sighs. At least he doesn't have to worry about it all till school's out.  
  
_____  
  
Author's Notes: Because this scene left us with a horrific level of Todd/Kurt withdrawal, we're posting two scenes this time. Also, the end is in sight. We're coming close to the last few events in this story; scene 11 or 12 should be the last chapter in this fic. But fear not! For there is more to come, much more!! This will be a series of several 'books'. So keep an eye out for the next one, and hope you guys enjoy! 


	10. Scene 10

9/17/03- Todd and Logan played by my beloved Idgiebay, Kurt and Scott played by moi.  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. I don't own them, I'm just a klepto who intends no harm and will return them when I'm done. Please dun hurt me.  
  
SLASH DISCLAIMER: This...is...SLASH. Ever seen Boy Meets Boy? That's what this is, only in this case it's Elf meets Toad. If the thought of boys loving boys (and kissing boys and touching boys etc. etc.) makes you make little sicky noises, you probably want to go somewhere else.  
  
-Because I Got High-  
  
Scene 10  
  
Lance leans back against the worn car seat, allowing the wind on his face and the activity on the road before him to distract him for a moment. Freddie walked home again, presumably planning on getting something to eat on the way, and Pietro was, as usual, home five seconds after the bell rang, leaving Lance and Todd to drive to the boarding house in silence. The perfect opportunity for their little 'talk', right? Lance swallows nervously, and chances a glance at the seat next to him, where Todd sits, staring out the window, his arms crossed and demeanour sullen. Yeah, this is going to be fun.  
  
Clearing his throat, Lance turns his eyes back to the road and musters his courage. "So Todd..." he starts, trying to keep his tone cool, and failing miserably. He sighs, and gives Todd an earnest glance. "Listen, man. I want...I just want to tell you I'm sorry."  
  
If Todd even heard Lance, he doesn't give any indication that he cares, not even a slight shrug of his shoulders. His gaze remains fixed on nothing in particular, inwardly wishing there wasn't so much traffic at this time of day. The sooner they get home, the sooner he can be in his room, closing and locking the door and avoiding the world for as long as possible because he really doesn't want to have this conversation.  
  
The stony silence his apology meets with isn't unexpected. Lance's jaw clenches slightly, and he looks at Todd, whose position and expression are completely unchanged, before turning back to the road. "Okay, I deserve that. Can I just ask you one question? One question and then we can drop it, if you really want to."  
  
"Why do you wanna press it, man?" Todd suddenly asks, still looking away. His voice is monotonous and tired and bleeds with the unspoken undertone of 'just leave me the fuck alone.' "It's over. It was wrong and I fixed it, you win, so can we just forget about it and let things go back to normal?" Without waiting for a response, he leans forward, turns the radio on, pumps up the volume, and sits back, head against the window jamb. That position doesn't last however, as he gets a good look at himself in the sideview mirror: the rings around his eyes are darker than normal and his skin is a sickly ash color (as opposed to the healthy pale-flesh color it usually is).. it sickens him, reminds him of last night and how little sleep he got. He turns over and sighs, now facing the front of the jeep and the slow-moving cars ahead.  
  
Reaching over and wrenching down the volume on the radio, Lance glares at him. "Damn it, will you just listen for a minute? I've got a question and I damn well want...I would LIKE an answer...please."  
  
"So ask, yo. I ain't stopping you." /Doesn't mean I'm gonna answer, though,/ he grumbles inwardly. Examining the traffic around him, his eyes fall on the busy sidewalk one car over and he secretly estimates just how far he'd have to jump to make it there if he didn't like the turn this conversation took.  
  
With a deep, heaving breath, Lance turns his eyes back to the road. "Why?" Another glance. "Why him? What is it between you two?"  
  
Todd remains quiet, Lance's words echoing the thoughts he's been having for the past four days, the question he can't seem to answer. "Why do you care, anyway?" he suddenly wonders. "You heard what I said last night, fool, you were standing right there. Seemed pretty happy about it, too." He casts Lance a sidelong glare marked with pointed resentment before his eyes rest on the cars ahead once more. He forces his expression to be neutral again. "Did Kitty put you up to this, man? Did you fucking tell her what was going on?"  
  
"I didn't have to tell her. We're not talking about her, though, we're talking about you and him. It's obvious you're not happy with this, the way things are now. Look at yourself, you look like death warmed over, microwaved even. If this is what happens when you don't see him for -one day-..." Lance's voice softens with his expression, and he gives Todd an apologetic glance. "I'm just trying to understand, man. I wanna know why this is doing this to you. He isn't just some casual fuck to you, I see that now. So what IS he?"  
  
"I don't know!" Balling his hands into fists, Todd sits forward and directs the most heated glare in Lance's direction, clenching his teeth painfully to keep from snapping at the other boy. He doesn't want to argue anymore. He told Kurt to fuck off--it's what Lance wanted, right? And yet, he's now pulling Todd in the opposite direction, causing the doubt gnawing at his brain to explode into pieces of anger and regret. Closing his eyes, he tries to calm himself, but Lance's words keep pounding at the barrier he's put up. /He isn't just some casual fuck to you, I see that now./ Well, la te-fucking-da. Lance sure is good at what he does, isn't he? He certainly decimated Todd's emotional wall in no time flat.  
  
"I don't. fucking. know," he growls through his clenched teeth. "I was trying to figure it out, but you wouldn't let me. You wouldn't LET me, damnit, and for some twisted reason, I actually give a fuck what you think, so I stopped, man." He pauses, biting the inside of his cheek, realizing he could easily end with that, but his emotions were on a landslide and he couldn't stop the words from coming out. "I stopped for YOU. I told him to fuck off because I didn't want you to be mad anymore and it was a really fucking hard thing to do, and now, yo.. now you wanna know why this is doing this to me? Fuck you!" Sitting up on his knees, he looks around, ignoring the odd looks from the people outside. They could fuck themselves too, for all he cares; he just wants to get to the sidewalk as fast as possible and plans on doing so at the next red light.  
  
The movement's not lost on Lance. Eyes widening in surprise, he reaches over and tries to grab Todd's arm, needing above all else to keep him in the car. As hard as this conversation has become, they need to have it, and Lance isn't letting him escape it that easily. "Sit down, damn it, I'm not gonna be the one cleaning up if you go splat on the sidewalk." He glares at the boy, then back at the traffic, and wants nothing more than to pull the car over so he can fucking concentrate, but doing that would remove the last, feeble obstacle to Todd's running. So he keeps driving, and keeps talking, trying not to let desperation creep into his tone.  
  
"You did it for ME?" A mad impulse to laugh grabs Lance, but he fights it down to a bitter 'hmph'. "And why the fuck would you wanna do something like that? I'm not that fucking scary, am I?" Doubt is clawing at his mind now; this is his fault. All his. Whether he thought what they were doing was right or not, it was what Todd wanted, and he threatened him into giving it up, denied his best friend one of the only things he'd ever asked him for. Because of him, Todd was hurting. Sure, some of the pain was from the act itself, the boy's uncertainty over it. But that uncertainty would've been a lot less if it weren't for Lance.  
  
Frowning at himself, Lance gives Todd the longest look he can spare, earnest regret filling his eyes. "Man. I...I'm sorry."  
  
Todd pulls his arm away. He makes no move to sit back down, but neither does he move to jump; he instead looks down, brows furrowed, suddenly finding the seat upholstery quite interesting. "Whatever, yo... you wouldn't understand," he mumbles.  
  
"Could be," Lance mumurs to himself, then louder, "Could be. Maybe I won't understand. But at least this time I'm trying, man. I'm trying. I was wrong, I can admit it. Give me a chance to make it right."  
  
Todd shakes his head. "Man, *I* don't even understand, there's no way YOU could.." He sighs, feeling the anger slowly draining away with the remnants of his adrenaline rush, leaving only regret behind. Regret and confusion. Always confusion anymore. And his fingers are twitchy, needing and wanting and longing, but he doesn't know why, doesn't know how to appease them. Maybe if he hit Lance up for some pot when they got home--and what would that lead to? Jesus, if he fooled around with Kurt after getting stoned, what the hell would he do to Lance? He doesn't even want to think about it.  
  
..not right now, anyway. Maybe tonight.  
  
It then occurred to him that Lance was probably waiting for more of a response, but what the fuck did he want to know? It's over, it's done, they can all get back to their routine-driven lives now. "Can we just.. drop it, man?"  
  
Lance would love to oblige, really. But his mouth seems to be faster than his brain today. Before he can stop himself, he asks the question that just popped into his head. "Do you wanna get back with him?" Eyes widening again, he curses under his breath, in the most colorful language he knows. Even he recognizes that was probably not the right thing to say...but now that it's out, he realizes he really wants an answer. Holding his breath and keeping his eyes glued to the road, he waits for one.  
  
Todd suddenly wishes Lance would slam the breaks unexpectedly so he would go flying forward and smash his face into the dashboard because he didn't have the balls to do it on his own. "What the hell kinda question is that?" That kind of question implies that he was 'with' Kurt to begin with, and.. he wasn't. Not really. Right?  
  
Feigning confidence he sure as hell isn't feeling right now, Lance steals a glance at Todd, who's looking none-too-happy about the turn in conversation. Oh well, he's already crossed the guard rail, might as well make the jump... "Well, you guys seemed pretty happy before I butted in. I mean, if my giving you a hard time was what broke you up...well, I'm not giving you a hard time anymore, right? So what's stopping you?"  
  
Todd quirks an eyebrow and lets out a short, bitter laugh, eyeing Lance curiously. "Well, you kinda JUST told me you weren't giving me a hard time anymore, so give a guy some time to think, ya know? Besides.." he trails off and immediately snaps his mouth shut, disturbed by the track his train of thought was about to take. There is no 'besides;' Lance isn't gonna give him shit anymore, so now Todd can call Kurt up, apologize, and have mind-blowing make-up sex with him and everything in the world will be right in the fucked-up and twisted way that it was before. Yes. There is no 'besides'... so why did he say it?  
  
Finally sitting back down, he slouches against the seat and folds his arms across his chest, gaze fixed outside again. They're passing the public library now, which means they'll be home soon enough and he'll be able to make that phone call.. but that thought doesn't lift his spirits as much as it should.  
  
'Besides?' Lance wonders at that; obviously there's something more to be said. He should just drop it, leave it alone like he should've done ten minutes ago. They just passed the library, they'll reach the boarding house in a matter of minutes; the ride's almost over, and with it, the conversation.   
  
But Kitty DID ask him to find out where things stood between the boys...  
  
"Besides?" he asks, trying to maintain a casual air. He is -so- pushing it...  
  
/Oh, Jesus H. Christ../ Todd simply shrugs. "I dunno what I was gonna say.."  
  
"Uh-huh..." Lance regards Todd, one eyebrow raised in a gesture that just screams skepticism.   
  
"What?!" Todd whirls around and snaps defensively, harsher than he meant to. He clears his throat and tries again. "What, man? What's with that 'uh-huh?'"  
  
'Whoa, defensive much?' Curiousity at it's peak, Lance smirks to himself, the expression hidden by a skillful glance over his shoulder as he changes lanes. No doubt about it, there was most definitely something there, and he means to find out what, no matter how long it takes. "That 'uh-huh' is just that. Uh-huh." He doesn't hide the sarcasm in his voice, in fact emphasises it ruthlessly.   
  
A change of subject is in order, Todd resolves, and he nervously taps on the armrest near the window while anxiously clicking his teeth together. "You're an ass, yo," he states matter-of-factly. "So what were you and Kitty talking about at lunch today?"  
  
"What do you think we were talking about? She was ready to kick my ass over you guys. Seems her -precious- little elf's been all depressed and shit, which doesn't sit right with her." Lance rolls his eyes exaggeratedly. "If he doesn't cheer up fast, she's gonna be gunning for my ass."   
  
Depressed..? Todd quietly sinks lower into his seat, groaning slightly as an ill feeling suddenly grips his stomach. Why the fuck did this have to be so complicated? So he made a fucking mistake. Lance gave him shit for it, but he tried to see if maybe it hadn't been a mistake, if something could come of it, then got more shit from Lance, then tried to fix it--and now.. now what? It seems like Lance is trying to push him in the other direction again and Todd isn't sure what he thinks of that or if he even wants to and Kurt is depressed and it's all his fault and good lord, what a fucking drama this is. "This is the shit stupid shows like Degrassi are made of.." he mumbles under his breath.  
  
"What?" Lance didn't quite catch that, something about watching Degrassi. He raises an eyebrow at the boy, but eventually decides to ignore it. They're turning down their street now, and he's not ready for the conversation to dwindle out yet. Pulling the jeep into the drive and turning off the engine, he turns to Todd, finally able to give him his full attention. "Listen man. You do what you want. Don't let the rest of us mess with what you think is best; you've already seen what that does and it's not pretty.  
  
"If you decide to try again, you won't have to worry about me. Things are gonna be hard enough for you as it is, I'm not gonna make them any worse. Not now. I just want you to be careful, with whatever you do. Think things through...you're really good at that. I've got your back, one way or the other."  
  
Todd keeps his eyes averted, nodding every so often as Lance speaks. Part of him doesn't believe the older boy, doesn't believe that it's possible he could do a total one-eighty on his opinion of this whole mess in such a short time. Todd guesses that most of it is Kitty's doing, and that thought alone flares up a sickening emotion he can only equate with antipathy. He pushes the feeling aside, though, and can't fight the smile that comes to his lips when Lance says he's got his back. "Thanks, man.."  
  
"No problem. Least I can do, you know," he gives Todd a sheepish grin. "So I take it we can expect you to be gone tonight...?"  
  
"Eh.." Todd shrugs, his smile quickly replaced by a frown. "Gotta make a phone call, first.. dunno if I'll be welcome, y'know..?"  
  
Reminded of the way the fuzzball looked at lunch, Lance snorts. "Dude, I think you'll find yourself more than welcome. The way that boy was pining over you this afternoon was pathetic." He jumps over the driver's-side door, landing smoothly on the driveway and striding towards the boarding house. "But come on, phone's all yours."  
  
Todd follows suit, hopping out of his seat and gracefully landing on the cement. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he falls in line behind Lance and cocks his head to the side, regarding the other boy curiously. "Pining?" he asks, not even bothering to stifle his sardonic laughter. "Please, dawg, you make it sound like he's in love with me or some shit."  
  
"I don't know, maybe all those X-Geeks are romantic saps or something, but you should've seen him. It was sad, man, real pathetic." Lance pulls open the door, wandering into the house and on into the kitchen, where he begins rummaging in the cabinets. "Give him a call and tell me he's not happy to hear from you. Bet he won't be able to contain himself, heh."   
  
Todd can't help the giddy feeling that suddenly overtakes him, but he still feels skeptical, observing Lance with questioning eyes. "You sure you're all right with this, man?"  
  
Lance grins mischievously, happy to note the joy dancing in the other boy's eyes. "Dude, if I wasn't, believe me, you'd know."  
  
"If I didn't expect to get pounded after, fool, I'd kiss you," Todd quips and grins, winking as he turns around and heads toward the phone, a slight blush creeping over his cheeks. "Er, that was a joke," he adds dumbly. He glances over his shoulder and flashes Lance a sheepish smile as he picks up the receiver, staring dully at the keypad for a moment before he realizes he doesn't know the number.  
  
Lance watches Todd stare at the phone for a bit, then finally walks over, types the number into the keypad, and walks out of the kitchen with nothing more than a smile at the boy. Sure, he's a little pissed with himself for buckling under the pressure Kitty was applying (a few moments as he ponders the kind of pressure he'd LIKE Kitty to put on him, goofy grin again spreading across his face). But he realizes now how wrong he was (sure took him long enough to see it) and he's just damn glad to see Todd in a good mood. Deep depression doesn't suit the boy. Lance smiles a self-saluting grin and sits down on the couch, intent on staring at the television until the phone is free for his call to Kitty.  
  
"Heh, thanks," Todd calls to Lance's retreating figure, idly pulling at the loose strings on his jeans. The phone rings and he jumps slightly, apprehension quickly winding its way through his veins. He has absolutely no clue what he's going to say, didn't think he'd have reason to; last night was supposed to be the end of it and, as glad as he is that it wasn't, apologizing isn't something he'd planned on doing. What is he supposed to say? /Yo man, sorry I told you to fuck off last night; I was just trying to appease Lance 'cause I have some sick desire to make him happy, but it's all good now, so can we have hot make-up sex in your swimming pool? 'Cause, you know, that'd be hot./ Oh yeah, that'll really win him over.  
  
Deep in the Xavier Institute, the phone rings. As he happens to be grabbing an after-school snack out of the fridge, Scott picks up the kitchen's cordless, cradling it against his shoulder while he peels a carrot into the garbage can. "Xavier Institute, can I help you?"  
  
Todd freezes mid-thought. "Uh, h-hello?" Very intelligent, dumbass. "Um, can I talk to, uh.. Kurt?"  
  
"Sure, hang on, I'll get him," Scott replies, off-hand, but then the voice really starts to click in his mind, and it's familiar, not in a good way. "Hang on, who is this?"  
  
Todd cringes and nervously fiddles with the phone cord, mentally damning Summers and his fucking curiosity. "A, uh, friend from school, yo."  
  
"A friend huh?" Scott doesn't bother to hide his sarcasm. Despite the phone's distortion, the voice is becoming more familiar with every word, and he recognizes it enough to know it's someone he doesn't like. "Well, 'friend', I'll have to have a name to give him."   
  
"Why, you his daddy or something? Look Summers," He glances into the den; the last thing he needs is another phone brawl with Lance, so he lowers his voice and moves to the other side of the kitchen. "I ain't got time for this. I got something important to tell him, so would you just give him the phone? He'll know who it is, fool."  
  
Warning bells ringing like mad in his brain, Scott scowls at the boy's tone. 'Who IS that?' The name's on the tip of his tongue...Whoever it is, he's definitely not inducing trust and good vibes. "Listen, I'm just asking for a name. There's no reason to get defensive, unless you've got something to hide. Do you?"  
  
Hearing the commotion, Logan silently steps into the kitchen and watches Scott with growing suspicion, leaning against the door jamb as he eavesdrops in plain sight.  
  
In his own kitchen, Todd anxiously paces back and forth like a caged tiger, wishing he could reach into the phone and wring Summers' neck. He really doesn't like being put on the spot. "Shit, it's Todd, okay? Todd Tolensky. Now put him on the phone."  
  
"Tolensky? TOAD Tolensky?" Scott's brows raise. Sure he was suspicious, but he didn't quite expect the voice on the other end of the line to belong to one of their worst enemies. Not that Tolensky was as big a threat as some of the other Brotherhood members, but still... "Why are you calling HERE? What in the world do you want with Kurt?"  
  
Shaking his head, Logan leaves the kitchen, Scott's voice still coming in clear to his heightened sense of sound. He tunes it out, however, jaw set tightly as he makes his way up the stairs and into the bedroom foyer, brows drawn together in something that's not quite anger, but just as unhappy. As the room he's looking for comes into view, he sighs and stops in front of the closed door. The person behind it has been avoiding him all week, and with good reason--Logan's kept a distant eye on Kurt since Saturday, aware of the phone conversation and the boy's disappearance last night. Though he doesn't want to get into another argument with the kid, he can't keep his blood from boiling over the idea that Kurt went ahead with this despite the problems it posed, but he'll keep his temper in check for now. He'll play it by ear, keep calm, see where it goes from here.  
  
Sighing again, he raises his fist and determinedly knocks on the door. "Kurt."  
  
If he thought it'd do any good, Kurt would pretend he wasn't there. Unfortunately, Wolverine's sure to have picked up his scent already, so even 'porting to safety is out of the question. Besides, this has been a long time coming; he can't keep running forever, as Kitty reminded him. Setting down the book he was reading and crawling off his bed, he creeps to the door, calling through it, "Uh, ja?" 'Real smooth,' his brain mocks him, and he grimaces at the badly disguised fright in his own voice.   
  
As much as Logan would like to open the door and start grilling, he merely responds, voice flat, "You have a phone call."  
  
"Phone...what? Who would..." timidly Kurt opens the door, revealing Logan's usual scowling countenance. Shrinking back slightly, he runs a mental checklist of all his limbs. Hm, still intact. What's wrong with this picture? "Uh, thanks Logan, I'll uh..." A vain hope about who might be on the phone runs through his mind, and unlikely as it is he still panics. The phone, which phone, the closest one would be- "...Kitchen phone?"   
  
Logan nods, backing away from the door a little, critically eyeing the timid figure hiding behind it. "Better get there before Scott hangs up, kid," he warns. He folds his arms across his chest, looking as if he wants to say more, but he remains silent and unmoving, watching Kurt expectantly.  
  
Logan's unblinking gaze is unnerving under the best of circumstances; now, it's about to send Kurt into a nervous breakdown. He keeps expecting the proverbial hammer to fall. Only in this case it'd be claws instead of a hammer, and they wouldn't so much fall as slice a chunk out of his hide. That Logan hasn't said a word about the events of the past few days is, truth be told, starting to scare him. Then Logan's words register, and Kurt feels the blood drain from his face. "SCOTT?" 'Mein Gott, please don't let that be...'   
  
Again, Logan nods. "Kid doesn't seem none too happy about it. Wonder who it could be." He stares pointedly at Kurt for several seconds, then turns and starts walking toward the den without another word. He only takes a few steps, however, before he stops and looks over his shoulder, calculating gaze resting on the boy. "Don't leave," he warns, the tone of his voice debarring all argument. "Charles and I want to see you in the den tonight. We need to talk. That clear, bub?"  
  
Damn. Damn damn damn. Reflecting on the fact that that encounter would've probably gone much better on him if he'd been the one to initiate it, Kurt swallows hard, fear drying his throat. His only consolation is the chance that Todd's on the phone, which seems almost certain after Logan's words. Careful to maintain eye contact, he stammers, "Uh, ja, understood."   
  
"Good." With one last critical glance, the older man turns, his footsteps falling heavily on the ground as he stalks away.  
  
Kurt's torn between relief that that's over and his intense fear of their 'appointment' later. Trying to shrug it off with a shudder, he decides to focus instead on the task at hand; a small, hopeful smile crosses his lips, despite his attempts to stifle it, and he quickly teleports to the kitchen. The first thing he hears when he arrives is Scott's voice. Scott's very loud voice. Very loud, angry voice. 'Wundervoll.' With little doubt now as to who's on the phone, Kurt uncurls his tail from the light fixture and drops down next to Scott. Keeping a defensive posture, just in case, he taps Scott on the shoulder. "I believe that call is for me?"  
  
Scott doesn't notice the touch at first. He's too busy shouting. "WHAT did you say about my mother? You little fly-eating freak, I'm gonna-" Finally registering the calm voice behind him, he turns to find Kurt, tail twitching and an irritated frown on his face. He scowls. "Yeah, yeah it's for you. Can I ask WHY it's for you? There some reason for Toad to call that I should know about?"  
  
Kurt's stomach tightens at the word 'Toad', and he has to fight not to smile. Not ready for another near-confrontation right now, and more than eager to get that phone in his hands, he waves the comment off dismissively. "We got roped into doing a school project together. It's nothing, can I have the phone now?"  
  
One eyebrow raised skeptically, Scott hands the phone over. He can't see any other plausible reason for the call, but Kurt's still-twitching tail is a sure sign the boy's nervous, and Scott's immediately wary. Making a mental note to keep an eye on his friend for a while, he goes back to the carrot abandoned on the counter-top, taking a harsh bite of it as he leans against the counter, gaze trained on Kurt. Thank god his shades hide his eyes. He's above eavesdropping...but that doesn't mean he can't enjoy his snack in the kitchen if he wants.  
  
'Oh god, he's not leaving yet.' Kurt debates 'porting back to his room, but decides that would seem even more suspicious than the rest of his behavior probably looked. No point running, unless he absolutely has to. After training a glare on Scott for a few moments, Kurt turns his back on him, pressing the phone to his ear and talking quietly. "Todd?"  
  
In the process of saying a fond 'fuck you' to Summers, Todd bites his tongue when the voice over the phone changes. "Eh, Kurt?" he asks skeptically, though there are obvious hints of hopefulness and apprehension in his tone as well.   
  
Kurt breaks into a huge grin. Trying to pitch his voice low enough to avoid Scott's hearing, he says, "Ja, it's me. Sorry about that, I didn't expect you or I would've been answering the phone. Eh..." His brow furrows in confusion. "Why -did- you call? Not that I'm complaining, but..." He lets his voice trail off, not quite sure what else to say.  
  
Todd nervously twirls the phone cord through his fingers. This is the hard part.. "I, uh, I.. well, man.. I mean.." Let it be said that even someone whose tongue is as skillful as Todd's still stands the chance of getting horribly tongue-tied.. and boy, does a six foot long tongue ever get tied. He sighs, giving up the cord-twirling for nail-biting as memories of last night's events suddenly attack his mind--namely Kurt's desperate tugging at his sleeve, to which Todd responded with pulling away and telling the other boy to get lost, only with much harsher words.  
  
Todd cringes at the recollection. Jesus, he's an ass... "Yo, I just.. I wanted to say that I'm s-sorry." He awkwardly stumbles over the word, making it plainly obvious that this isn't something he normally does. "I said some shit that I really didn't mean last night, and.. and, yeah.." /Feel special, man,/ he mentally tells Kurt. /I'm makin' a schmuck outta myself for you./  
  
"Ah." The smile still clings stubbornly to Kurt's lips, but memories of exactly what Todd's apologizing for start to dampen his enthusiasm. He still has no idea where they stand, isn't sure whether this is merely an apology or an attempt at mending what they'd started, or if he should even accept. He's already ready to forgive, which in itself troubles him. It's too easy, too sudden...  
  
But he wants to try again. "It's okay, man. It was a rather stressful situation, ja? Um...We need to talk, though. You busy tonight?"  
  
Todd releases a breath he hadn't been aware of holding as relief washes over him in waves. "Tonight?" He glances over his shoulder at the den, smiling at what Lance said to him earlier.  
  
/"So I take it we can expect you to be gone tonight...?"/  
  
"Nah, I ain't busy," he responds, the grin he's wearing evident in his voice, though topped with a twinge of doubt. "You sure it's okay, though? I mean, heh.." A nervous chuckle. "Never mind, yo. Ain't gonna go arguing if you're sure you wanna forgive me.." Trailing off, a pang of uncertain panic suddenly shoots up his spine as he realizes 'it's okay' does not necessarily equal 'I forgive you,' and he makes an effort to ammend that quickly, his voice unexpectedly cracking in the middle of his sentence. "Uh, I mean, did you forgive me..?"  
  
The smile turns melancholy for a moment, the past still trying to impose itself on Kurt's present. He shoves it away, determined to focus instead on the future, and the potential it holds. "Yeah...yeah, I forgive you," he whispers. Behind him there's a rustling of fabric, and he turns to see Scott drop the peeler in the sink. The boy leaves without looking at him, and he breathes a heavy sigh of relief. "I understand where last night was coming from, and I do forgive you. But we have much to talk about, ja? Um..." Logan's 'request' comes back to Kurt, and he frowns. He can't leave, but he has to see Todd, now. Well, there is one way... "Uh, Todd? Do you think you could, eh...could you meet me here?"  
  
The question is enough to shock Todd into nearly dropping the phone. "The hell..? THERE?" Memories of being shot at in some battle room after being all but zapped to death by some whacked out weather witch suddenly fill his mind and he has to try very hard not to shudder. "Man, you some kinda sadist?!" In his agitaion, his voice raises in pitch, taking on an almost humorous, girlish tone. "I ain't goin' near that place! You guys got death rooms and planes made outta plastic and fuckin' white-haired whackos that go around zapping people for fun!"  
  
Oh boy, this is gonna take some convincing... "Todd, Todd calm down, listen." Kurt makes an 'easy-does-it' gesture with his free hand, palm down and hovering at chest level, as if Todd can see it. "I'm sorry, if there was any other way I'd take it. But I can't leave the mansion, not tonight. It'll be fine, we'll stay well clear of the 'death rooms', and Storm's out visiting Evan's family. You'll be all right, I promise."  
  
Todd paces the kitchen, making various 'hmn' and 'ergh' noises as he warily considers the request. "I dunno, man.. I ain't exactly welcome there, y'know? How'm I supposed to get past security?" His mind briefly wonders at the fact that he got through security just fine when he was wasted, but that isn't very helpful.  
  
"I'll let you in, and we'll just make sure no one else sees us. Piece of cake," Kurt says, with a confidence he doesn't quite feel. It'll be risky, far too risky. He should just leave it for tomorrow, wait to see Todd...   
  
He can't, especially not with the confrontation he's going to have to face later. He needs Todd here, now; desperation taints his voice. "I'll understand if you can't, it's fine. I just...I really need to see you, and I won't let anything happen to you. I just...need you to trust me...Please."   
  
Groaning, Todd finds the closest wall and gently pounds his head against it. The desperation in Kurt's voice is unmistakably clear, once more reminding Todd of the desperation that'd been present last night and the way he'd ignored and shoved it aside, resulting in his current dilemma. He sighs; it just wouldn't do to fuck things up again so soon after apologizing, and Kurt sounded so fraught and distressed and needy.. and.. and.. /God DAMN, when did I become such a pussy?/ "Fine," he mutters, pushing himself away from the wall. "I trust you, man." And, surprisingly, that isn't a lie. Though slightly disconcerted over the fact that he can give his trust to Kurt so willingly, so easily, the feeling is eclipsed by the overall sense of.. contentment. Odd. "So, when you want me there, fool?"  
  
Beaming, Kurt throws his gaze towards the ceiling, sending a silent 'thank you' to the heavens. "About ten minutes ago would be nice," he laughs, softly. "Whenever you're ready. I can run out to the gate now and wait for you."  
  
"Yo, I know I'm fast, but I ain't THAT fast," he chuckles. "UNLESS LANCE IS WILLING TO DRIVE ME--" He looks over his shoulder in time to see the older boy give a hand gesture that is most decidedly a 'no.' "--I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."  
  
"Great, I'll be waiting." Resisting the urge to bound down the hall, cordless still in hand, Kurt paces the kitchen floor. "See you in fifteen. And Todd..." he pauses, and smiles a warm smile. "Thanks."  
  
Todd grins nervously, scratching at the back of his head. He isn't quite sure what he's being thanked for. "Uh.. I think I'm the one who should be thanking you, fool. I mean, for.. y'know.. uh, giving me a chance to apologize and.. yeah, I should be thanking you," he ends lamely.  
  
A soft chuckle rolls from Kurt's throat. "Thanks for coming. I know this place isn't exactly welcoming for you, I appreciate what you're doing. As for you thanking me, no need..." There's something more that needs to be said, but his brain stumbles over it, and he can't quite determine what it is. He gropes at it blindly for a moment, then gives up with a quiet sigh. "Just...yeah, it's fine. Don't mention it."  
  
"Okay.." /Okay,/ his mind repeats, and he mentally bitchslaps himself. Will things ever stop being awkward? He makes his way back to the phone cradle, once again fidgeting with the cord as his brain desperately tries to think of something to say. This is the end of the conversation, right? "So, um.. see you in fifteen, man. Don't forget to be waiting out there, 'cause if you're not and I, y'know, DIE.. I swear, I'll kill you."  
  
With a hearty laugh that does wonders to dispel the nagging hurt and regret of a mere few minutes ago, Kurt wanders towards the phone's base. "Man, you've got nothing to worry about, believe me. You're not the only fast one around here. I'll be there before you even leave the boarding house."   
  
"Yeah, well.." he trails off, glancing up at the clock on the wall. They've spent the last two minutes stalling and he can't keep the mischievous smile from creeping on his face as he leans against the counter and leers at nothing in particular. "Anyway.. I know you're crazy about me and the thought of hanging up probably kills you, man, but if I'm gonna be there in fifteen minutes, I should probably start hoppin' now." As an afterthought, he adds, deviously, "Then you can have more than just my voice to entertain you."  
  
Feeling the heat rise to his cheeks (not to mention somewhere in the opposite direction), Kurt stammers slightly. "Uh, ja, when you put it that way, hanging up sounds damn good right about now." He grins, allowing Todd's mischievous tone to taint his own. "Don't keep me waiting, man. I may get lonely."  
  
"Hey, don't start anything without me!" Though his tone is playful and he's sure Kurt realizes he's joking, he can't keep certain pleasurable images from forming in his mind's eye and he blushes, grinning foolishly. He's now quite grateful that they're only on the phone, because he's certain he looks like a lecherous twit. Momentarily pushing the phone aside, he peeks into the den, makes sure Lance isn't looking at him, then gives a brief sigh of relief and returns the receiver to his ear. "So anyway.. see you in fifteen, fuzzy."  
  
"Ja, see you then!" Still blushing, even more furiously, he drops the phone on its base and leaps onto the ceiling with a resounding cheer, quickly stifling it and looking around warily. Satisfied after a moment that no one heard him, he 'ports to his room, anxious to get ready in the quarter hour he's got. He shoves thoughts of Logan and the Prof from his mind, allowing eager images of what could happen with Todd to take happy control of his brain.  
  
Todd plunks the phone on the cradle and stares at it for a moment, wide grin still plastered on his face. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he saunters past the den and to the front door in an absent-minded haze before he stops, shaking his head. Determined to wipe the smirk off his face, he backtracks to the living room and tries to catch Lance's attention. The sides of his lips tweak slightly, but a quick bite to the cheek remedies that. "Yo, man," he says, nodding toward the older boy. "I'm gonna head out for a bit, okay?"  
  
Lance favors the boy with a knowing, self-satisfied smirk. "I told you he was crazy about you."  
  
Todd tries to scowl and look disinterested, he truly does. He's got the brow furrow going, but his lips are quite intent on betraying him today, so he turns away slightly, allowing an uncharacteristically shy smile to grace his features. "Ass," he mutters. "I'll seeya later, yo.."  
  
Lance snickers, "I won't wait up, man. You have fun doing whatever the hell it is you're gonna do."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Todd shuffles to the door, mumbling something about 'just gonna talk,' and though, in all truth that is the plan, he can't keep a little part of his brain (that nagging, randy little part that's in the other head) from hoping something else might come of it. Ahem. Lance doesn't need to know that, though. With one last glance at his teammate, he opens the door and heads out, trying to smother the eager bounce in his step.  
  
Smiling in spite of himself, Lance shakes his head as Todd walks out the door. The boy's got it bad, whatever 'it' is. He's never seen him like this before, and he can't say it's an unwelcome change. Whatever, Todd seems happy for the moment and that's all that matters to him. Frowning slightly, Lance hopes the boys' luck will hold out, for Todd's sake. Things seem to have a habit of going wrong for the members of the Brotherhood, and Lance isn't eager to clean up the mess should the shit start to hit the fan. With a worried sigh, he gets up from the couch, crossing to the kitchen and picking up the phone, somewhat goofy grin settling over his features. He's got a call to make.  
  
_____ 


	11. Scenes 11 and 12

10/7/03- Sorry for the wait, really! We finished Scene 11 a while ago, but I couldn't post it by itself as it most definitely earns the fic an NC-17 rating and, (thank you FFN! -_-;;;) we can't post NC-17 here. So here's what we'll do; I post a link to Scene 11 at our Livejournal Todd/Kurt community, and notes here as to the tiny things you'll need to know if you're underage or just don't like smut, and want to just skip Scene 11 XD. Links are here:   
  
Part 1- http://www.livejournal.com/community/toddkurtslash/17267.html  
  
Part 2- http://www.livejournal.com/community/toddkurtslash/17652.html  
  
Please, this IS NC-17! If you're underage, don't read. Simple as that. And for those who aren't going to read it, a summary will be found...  
  
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...here!  
  
Scene 11: Mainly consisted of smut, and lots of it XD. Todd came over, Kurt bamfed him into his room to avoid running into anyone. They made up, reaffirming the fact that they think there's something between them and both want to figure out what. Then, the make-up sex! Yay! And just when things are really starting to get good...Jamie knocks on the door, telling Kurt that Logan wants to see him in the den in a half hour. Once Kurt finally manages to get rid of Jamie, and the boys finish up, they're preparing to go their separate ways for the night when Kurt realizes he really doesn't want to face Logan and the Prof alone...and he has the brilliant idea of asking Todd to come with him. And Todd has the even more brilliant idea of accepting, albeit with a LOT of convincing, heh. And that's where we find them now, ready to head off to almost certain doom at the hands of Logan and Xavier XD.   
  
Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed 11, if you read it, and that you'll enjoy this one! We're introducing a new character, someone who may be familiar to some of you who've read the comics. To those of you he's not, there'll be some pertinent info and links at the end of the chapter, including a pic of him, Evo style, that Bridgie drew for me. OMG he's so hawt O_O. Todd's again played by my beloved Idgiebay, and Kurt and [inaudible mumbling] are both played by moi. Bring the pain!  
  
Disclaimer: Closest-thing-to-bishounen-America's-got Kurt and the lovely and amazing Toad-Boy belong to Marvel, the I think WB, and probably bunches of other wonderful peoples. So do anyone else mentioned herein. I don't own them, I'm just a klepto who intends no harm and will return them when I'm done. Please dun hurt me.   
  
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He wanders the halls, their silence breaking only with the almost imperceptible sound of his boots scuffing the carpet. The place is empty at this hour, all the students having gone out, or made their way to the grounds to enjoy the weather. He hasn't seen anyone in almost a half hour, which suits him fine. He's not big on the meager entertainment this small town offers, and even less fond of that horrible animal known as 'fresh air'. And socializing, well...it's not exactly his biggest strength.  
  
Which may be demonstrated yet again. He rounds a corner to find one of the doors lining the hall opening slowly. Soft voices drift from behind it, laughing and murmuring, followed quickly by two people, one blue and fuzzy, the other scrawny and grungy. They don't seem to notice him, but their tones are still soft, almost conspiratorial, and he quirks an eyebrow curiously. 'Well well well, what have we here?' They start walking, and he, naturally, follows, keeping at a discreet distance and remaining silent.  
  
Closing the door behind Todd, Kurt lingers in the hall. Sure, they could teleport to the den in a matter of seconds...but neither is exactly eager to get there. Every minute they take is another minute they don't have to face the wrath of Logan. So he starts walking. Slowly. Tries really hard to just enjoy what time they've got left, to not think about what they're ready to do. Which isn't too hard, really, with Todd to distract him. Grinning, he falls back, until he and Todd are even and he can snake an arm around the boy's slim waist. "Thanks for doing this. I really am grateful, man, you have no idea."  
  
"Yeah, well.." Todd trails off, a faint smile gracing his features as an arm snakes around his waist. Who knew it felt this good to be wanted? It's something he could definitely get used to. Leaning into the embrace, he regards Kurt with a suggestive grin, a mischievous glint in his eye, and a teasing tone, "I expect you to thank me properly later, fool."  
  
"Hopefully not much later, ja?" Kurt's grin becomes mischievous as well, as the hand he's resting on Todd's waist begins to travel, wandering south. With a wink, he gives the other boy's butt a squeeze. Oh yes, he could definitely get used to this.  
  
Todd jumps slightly and cocks his head to the side, eyebrow arched in question. He certainly didn't expect something like that from Kurt, though he honestly isn't complaining. "Let's hope not," he replies, grin widening as he notices for the first time how truly ragged they are. Kurt's hair is tangled and matted, fur wild and unkempt, and Todd SWEARS that the boy's sweater is on backwards; he can only imagine how bad HE must look. Chuckling, both out of amusement and uneasiness, he leans further into the embrace, rubbing his forehead against Kurt's shoulder. They don't look suspicious at all, everything will be fine.  
  
Right.  
  
  
  
They are so fucked. Pun not intended.  
  
The figure smirks to himself as he watches the pair, following at a short distance. Now there's something you don't see everyday. ...Not in this area, at least. So the two are quite obviously a couple. And, judging by their ruffled, matted hair and disheveled clothing, they were just doing a lot more than 'cuddling' in that room. He wonders if anyone else knows...and what they'd say if they found out. Sure, they preach tolerance for humans and mutants around here, but embracing one difference doesn't always mean people'll welcome another. Prejudice doesn't have to follow the rules of logic and common sense; the human race is funny that way.  
  
Suddenly curious as to where they're going, he smiles to himself. 'Well, there's one way to find out.' "You boys might wanna keep that in your room, you know. Never know who might be watching."  
  
Unfamiliar British voice invading private moment. Not good. Out of instinct, Todd jumps away from Kurt, away from the embrace and the warmth, and whirls around to see a lanky young man (maybe a year or so older than they are) eyeing them with a tiny hint of a smirk. Immediately, Todd's brows knit together, eyes darting from the newcomer to Kurt and back. He doesn't know this guy, but he can already tell they're not going to get along. "Watching what, man? There ain't nothing to watch! And even if there was," he folds his arms, glare intensifying, "what the hell is it to you?"  
  
At first all Kurt can do is wonder where that lovely warmth went. Then his brain catches up with the present, pointing out the intruding voice. He spins around with Todd, eyes coming to rest on the figure standing in the hall behind them, the institute's newest student. Not good. So very not good. Kurt struggles for something to say, but nothing useful comes to mind, and he's left standing there, mouth hanging open stupidly.  
  
"No need to get all defensive, mate. Not unless you've got something to be defensive about," the stranger responds, eyeing the scrawny kid curiously. Now that he's closer, the boy's becoming more familiar; he's seen him around the high school, at lunch, during a few classes. Always hanging out with his fellow delinquents, the kids the rest of Xavier's students are constantly whining over. Interesting. He smirks to himself; this little tidbit may prove useful.  
  
  
  
"Who's getting defensive, yo?" Todd wonders, though even to his own ears he sounds rather nervous. Clearing his throat, he eyes the taller boy suspiciously, takes in his appearance and commits it to memory for future reference: a long trench coat ending just above the boy's ankles, which are covered by calf-high black boots lined with dozens of laces, spikes, and at least a few straps. Above that, black pants that appear to be made from some type of dull leather with several chains adorning the material, hanging freely. Eyes travelling up, Todd's gaze finally rests on the boy's shirt, white, loose, and tucked in, a long frill beginning at the neck.  
  
Todd smirks, apprehension subsiding slightly. The guy looks like he came out of a fucking Anne Rice novel.  
  
Todd's words distract Kurt, reminding him he's not alone, and he finally finds his voice. "Hey, um..." Name, what's the boy's name... "Pete! Yeah, Pete, we were just, um...what're you doing here?" He mentally kicks himself; he sounds like a total idiot.  
  
"You remember my name. Don't I feel special," Pete quips, sarcasm tainting his tone. Leaning casually against the wall, he digs into a coat pocket, fingers wrapping around a well worn, slightly squished box. He pulls it out, taps the bottom until a cigarette pops out of the top, and raises it to his lips. Only after the ritual is finished does he bother to look at the blue boy, eyeing him appraisingly. The fur's got some interesting possibilities, adding to his unusually pretty face, and his body...Pete grins to himself, allowing a bit of tooth to show. "Jus' takin' a bit of a constitutional. Best kind of exercise there is. Well, 'cept for one." One last, appreciative look. "For you, I'd be willing to demonstrate. Looks like somebody beat me to it, though. Shame, that."  
  
Okay, who the HELL does this guy think he is? Todd unconsciously drifts closer to Kurt, the nervousness he felt now overtaken by another type of trepidation, though he isn't quite sure what. All he knows for certain is that he's VERY leery of this Pete fellow... and that his nails are digging into the palms of his hands. Ouch. He hadn't even realized he'd balled his fists. Biting back a snide remark, he casts Kurt a sidelong glance, waiting for his reply.  
  
Oh. Oh boy. Kurt's back to staring stupidly, his brain trying to process the boy's words. He's blushing furiously, his cheeks on fire, and can only be grateful it doesn't show; wouldn't want to add that evidence to his slightly-less-steady breathing or dropped jaw. Todd's presence at his side becomes more pronounced, reassuring him somewhat and causing a faint stirring of...something in his chest. He looks over, taking in Todd's balled fists and the taut line of his back, the death glare he's shooting at Pete. A small smile crosses his lips, his courage rising a bit at the sight. Turning his attention back to Pete, he crosses his arms, giving him a look to match Todd's glare. "Yeah, too bad," he finally responds, voice dripping sarcasm. "Well, it's been wonderful meeting you, really. But we've got important business to take care of." He smirks, adding a falsely cheery tone. "We should do this again sometime, though. Or not. Preferably not."  
  
Todd's lips twitch with a surpressed grin, satisfied with Kurt's response. "Yeah," he agrees, eyes once more trained on the taller boy as he dons a faint, proud smirk. "Besides, ain't it past your bed time? Still pretty light outside, vampire boy."  
  
Not exactly the reaction Pete was hoping for, but definitely the one he expected. He works to keep the frown off of his face. He's not out to form any attachments, but likewise he's not above a bit of pleasure for pleasure's sake, and the blue kid's physiognomy does intrigue him. Getting anywhere near him will be difficult though, judging by his apparent devotion to the other boy.   
  
On the plus side, win or lose the two seem like a fun pair to mess with. The self-assured smirk returns to Pete's face, his lips curling around his cigarette. "Vampire boy, that's cute. Think that one up all by your lonesome, did you? You might wanna ease off, mate. Considering where you are, and who you are..."   
  
Pete raises his hand to his face, poised as if he's holding an invisible lighter. Sticking his thumb under the tip of his cigarette, his grin widens, again baring a few teeth. Without warning a small knife-shaped plate erupts from his thumb, glowing red with extreme heat; it flies into the ceiling, leaving a slightly smoking hole in the plaster and lighting the cigarette on the way.   
  
The smirk drops from Pete's lips as he takes a long drag off the cigarette. "I doubt anyone here would mind terribly if anything happened to you, mate. A bloke's gotta protect his new home, after all."   
  
Eh-heh. Well. Todd looks up, watching little flakes of plaster flutter through the air, falling from the gaping hole that was once a perfectly unmarred spot on the ceiling. Grinning nervously, he clears his throat and drops his gaze to Pete, a small lightbulb in his head suddenly going off.  
  
Dangerous projectiles, an affinity for black.. so THIS is the hot-tempered badass Kurt was telling him about last night, and those flaming hot knives that can bust through inches upon inches of plaster must be the destructive projectiles. Damn.  
  
Todd tries to say something, but only a pathetic whimper escapes his throat, so he clears it again and fixes Pete with the deadliest glare he can muster. "Oh, I'm shakin' now, Dracula," he scoffs, though a gibe tends to sound more scornful when your voice doesn't crack mid-sentence, but that's beside the point. "I got a mean kick that could send your balls straight through your digestive tract, so you better just back off."  
  
The new boy's sudden show of force surprises Kurt, causing him to take an involuntary step back. The situation just got a lot more serious, and icy unease is slowly forming in his gut, mingling with nervousness and a familiar protective instinct. He places a hand on Todd's shoulder, hoping to both keep him from provoking the boy and to 'port him out of there if things get any worse. Fixing Pete with as dangerous a glare as he can muster (it's difficult to look dangerous when you fear for your life) he tries to focus on keeping his voice calm, his breathing even. "Todd's here as my guest. Meaning he's off the list of people you can bully. So why don't you just go your way, and let us go ours. We don't have the time for this."  
  
"And what're you in such a bleedin' hurry for?" Pete scowls, gripping the cigarette expertly between two curled fingers and pointing it at 'Todd'. "I seriously doubt he's on the 'allow' list for guests around here. I'm thinking I may need to do my civic duty and let Baldy know about such a breach in security."  
  
"Well, not that it's any of your business, fool, but talkin' to Baldy's what we're about to do, so you can just shove that little scare tactic back up your ass. Get me?" Under normal circumstances, Todd would never, ever provoke a bully, ESPECIALLY not one who's two heads taller than he and who can shoot heated knives out of their fingers, but.. Kurt is here. And for some reason, that's encouraging.. and perhaps a little cowardly, because really, dating a guy who can teleport truly does have its advantages.  
  
Not that nobody needs to know that.  
  
Pete clenches his jaw, lip curling with a quiet growl. He does NOT take shit from anyone, least of all a stinking, scrawny little git like this toad, and he's about to make that fact abundantly clear, when the boy's first words finally register through his anger. They're going to talk to the old man. Which should keep the old man quite distracted, and definitely occupied. The possibilities of a 'house without grown-ups' scenario start to worm their way into his thoughts, and he wonders for a moment where the other members of the staff will be. The weather witch left the mansion a couple hours ago, but the hairy bloke...  
  
He needs more information. But first...a little therapy is in order. Pete advances on the boy, shoving the blue kid out of his reach and trying to back Todd into the wall. Though he's definitely got the height advantage, he chooses to lean in, almost nose-to-nose with the kid. The smell is repulsive, a mixture of sweat, sex, and body odor, but he's used to ignoring the less-than-pleasant to get the job done. With a sneer he brings his hand up, splaying out his fingers and pointing them at Todd's nose. "That wasn't a scare tactic, mate. This is. 'S it working yet?"   
  
"Hey!" Kurt cries out at Pete's sudden aggressive move, his fear temporarily overpowered by indignation...Then quickly replaced by fear again when Todd's shoulder is ripped from his hand. Ice grips his stomach, and he clenches his fists, voice harsh as he growls, "Leave him alone, man. You don't want to do this."  
  
Todd swallows hard, staring cross-eyed at the sharp fingers in front of him. The warmth of the knives reaches his skin and beads of sweat start collecting at his forehead as he finally realizes how dangerous this guy actually is. Somewhere off to the side, he hears Kurt protesting, but his mind is too concentrated on thoughts of self-perservation and reproach to fully comprehend the words, and he mentally scolds himself on his earlier cockiness. While encouragement may be all right, depending on Kurt's powers when he's in a bind should certainly NOT become a habit.  
  
Frowning, he looks up and, if possible, shrinks further against the wall at Pete's unsettling sneer, wincing and wishing he could disappear or that the wall would somehow open up and swallow him. He opens his mouth, but all that comes out is a small whimper, so instead he slowly nods in response to the older boy's question. Curious, he chances a quick glance at Kurt, seeing worry and alarm in the other boy's eyes, and he curses himself as his cheeks suddenly warm up, uncertain if it's from the heat or embarrassment.  
  
Pete smirks, finally satisfied. The challenge has obviously gone out of the boy; he considers him for a moment more, his eyes trapping Todd's, before turning his hand and releasing the knives. They flare brightly before slamming into the wall, and blasting another, smaller hole through it. Making a show of straightening his trenchcoat, he backs away from the boy. "Glad that we understand one another, mate. Just mind you don't get in my way, and I won't have to do anything you'll regret."  
  
Crisis seemingly averted. Kurt breathes a heavy sigh of relief, though the cold weight hasn't left his gut yet. They're still in the line of fire (pun not intended) as long as Pete's around, but the situation seems to have been defused somewhat. Growling, he pushes past Pete, eager to get to Todd, to reassure himself the boy's all right. Which he appears to be, if a little shaken, his cheeks reddening and a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Again placing a reassuring hand on Todd's arm, he tugs gently, hoping to get the boy out of this quickly and with no more incident. Hell, he'll settle for getting Todd out alive.   
  
Todd nods again, nervously eyeing the hole in the wall that could very easily have been his head. Wonderful. If it's not some white-haired whacko trying to blast him, a death room full of lasers, or a claw-knuckled guy with a bad attitude, it's gotta be a nut with hot knives that launch out of his fingers, ALSO with a bad attitude. Todd is NOT meant to be at this mansion.. so why is he here again?  
  
The insistent tugging on his sleeve is all the reminder he needs. Looking anywhere but at Kurt, he allows himself to be pulled away, wondering if meeting the Professor is such a good idea after all. He can't even stand up to a fucking bastard who's probably only a year or two older than he and who certainly isn't as quick as Wolverine; how the hell does Kurt expect him to get through this? Sighing, he drops his gaze to the floor and stuffs his hands in his pockets, wishing the next few hours to be over as soon as possible.  
  
Kurt frowns at Todd's dejected sigh, and moves his hand to the boy's shoulder, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze. He gives Pete one final glare before totally ignoring him, turning his back on the glowering Brit and moving in front of Todd. The boy's avoiding his eyes; he places a finger gently against Todd's chin, hoping to coax him to look up. His whisper is for Todd alone. "Are you all right?"  
  
Pulling away slightly, Todd keeps his eyes averted and shrugs. Pride already wounded, pity from Kurt is the last thing he needs... even if that's not what it's mean to be. "I'm cool, man. It's just.." His voice trails off as he watches Pete from the corner of his eye; the older boy is glowering at him like he's the most insignificant creature on the planet. Todd frowns and glares back. He's getting a bad vibe from this guy, aside from the cockiness and threats. There's a definite sense of foreboding and he's afraid it might have something to do with Kurt, so getting out of here now would be an undeniably good idea. "It's nothing, yo," he says finally.  
  
The reassuring words aren't so very reassuring, and Kurt's frown deepens a moment, before he wipes it away with a determined thought and a quick kiss on Todd's forehead. There'll be time to ask about it later. He can almost feel Pete's glare burning into his back like a couple of those fancy knives, and decides they need to be out of here, now, before things deteriorate again. Though where they're going is infinitely more dangerous...better the enemy you know...   
  
Kurt lets his hand drop back to Todd's wrist, gives it another squeeze and slight tug. "Come on," he says, voice louder and forcibly more relaxed. "We've got to get going. Logan and the Prof are waiting, and Logan is not the kind of guy you keep waiting. ...Not if you want to walk away from the confrontation, anyway." The last is murmured quietly to himself; he's not looking to freak Todd out any further.  
  
Well fuck. The show of sickening devotion is enough to make Pete wrinkle his nose at the pair. If he wants anything to do with the blue kid, he'll have his work cut out for him. But Pete's always been one to enjoy a challenge, which this most certainly is. There'll be time to work on the boy later, once the toad's out of the mansion.   
  
Ah, and there's the last bit of info Pete needed. The hairy bloke's going along for the ride; he smirks to himself, delighted (well, as much as a guy like him can be) by the news. House-without-grown-ups indeed. Already his mind is filtering through the many possibilities, while a large portion revels in the thought of what 'Logan' will probably do to the two. Yeah, today's definitely turning into a good day.   
  
Pete saunters past the pair, elbowing Todd roughly along the way. He glances back over his shoulder long enough to chuckle. "Wouldn't want to interrupt a meeting with the walking, talking food processor, would we? I'll leave you boys to it, then. I've got me own things to take care of. Like claiming first dibs on your stuff, blue boy. Don't think you'll be needing it much longer."  
  
"I'm not dead yet, mein freund," Kurt growls, hair on the nape of his neck rising. "And if I were, you'd have to fight Kitty for my stuff. I think I could predict the outcome of that particular battle." He turns back to Todd, voice again calming. "Ready to go?"  
  
With one last glare directed at Pete's retreating figure, Todd gently pulls his wrist from Kurt's grasp and instead takes the other boy's hand in his, briefly (and almost unconsciously) running his thumb along the fur. "Yeah, I'm ready," he mutters, turning away. He begins walking, holding Kurt's hand close to his side, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Pete's still going in the opposite direction.  
  
Paranoid? Todd? Nah.  
  
Another quick glance. And another.  
  
..maybe just a tad.  
  
Now -that's- reassuring. Kurt's eyes slide shut for a moment at the feel of Todd's thumb caressing his fur, and a relieved smile crosses his lips. He'd hoped the boy's unease was in response to Pete (and the threat of Logan), and not, as his still uncertain ego keeps whispering, because of something he did. Much easier on his sanity to blame Pete, especially with the unnerving vibes the boy was giving off.   
  
Kurt gives the mental equivalent of a shrug. There'll be time to deal with all of this later, and another difficult confrontation (understatement of the year) ahead; the best thing they can do right now is to milk their last few minutes for all they're worth. He stops for a moment, stepping in front of Todd and wrapping his free arm around the boy's shoulders. Tickling his ear gently with furry fingers, he lets his smile widen. "We're already late, might as well get in some enjoyment along the way..." he leans in, wrapping his fingers in Todd's soft hair as he claims his mouth for an eager kiss.  
  
Todd's momentarily taken aback by the sudden kiss, but quickly recovers and returns it with all he's worth. He can't help the grin that tugs at his lips and he suddenly wishes he was a telepath so he could tell Pete to turn the fuck around and see what he can't have. The thought alone is enough for now, though. His grin widens as he pulls Kurt a little closer to him, deepening the kiss, when he suddenly remembers where they are. "Um," he mumbles against the other boy's lips. "We're kinda, mmm.." Tongue. "..in the hall?" He makes no move to break the kiss, however.  
  
Reluctantly, Kurt does, pulling away with a sheepish chuckle. "Guess one accidental discovery's enough for one day, ja?" He leans back a moment, getting a really nice view of Todd's slightly disheveled hair, warm grin, and reddened lips. Well...maybe one more second wouldn't hurt...He presses forward again, his tail winding its way around Todd's waist and pulling him closer, planting a few gentle kisses (not to mention licks, and nips) on his smooth lips.   
  
Todd smirks, snaking his hands around Kurt's waist and leaning in for one long, last kiss and GOD, he wishes Pete would turn around now. Right now, as he ravishes Kurt's mouth, nibbling softly at the bottom lip, coaxing the other boy's tongue out and gently sucking on it. Here. In the hallway, where anyone could see them.  
  
Right.  
  
Regretfully, he breaks the kiss and pulls away slowly, watching Kurt through half-lidded eyes, smiling. "That one," he begins, a little breathy, "is just in case Wolverine claws my ass to death, yo."  
  
Something in Kurt screams in protest at the loss of contact, its rant mainly consisting of several choice curses, in both English and German. With a small gasp for breath, Kurt pushes the thoughts down, reminding himself there's always later. A lazy smile creeps onto his lips, and they part just enough to flash a hint of fang. "Dude, he'll have to go through me first. It would take more than Logan's intimidation factor to make me give that up."  
  
Mock-frowning, Todd pulls away, but doesn't get very far as Kurt's tail is still wrapped around him. He folds his arms across his chest and looks away, pouting. "Oh, so you only like me for my skillful tongue, s'at it?" While waiting for a response, he catches a glimpse of Pete looking their way, glaring, seething, and a bit disgusted. A hint of a smirk graces Todd's features, and he doesn't even try to supress the satisfaction welling up inside him at all as Pete turns and resumes walking.  
  
Kurt crosses his arms indignantly, though the smirk threatening the corner of his lips kills most of the gesture's impact. "How shallow do you think I am, man? There's a lot more to you than that tongue, but if you keep that up I may just tie a steak around your neck and let Logan have you." The smirk breaks through on his last words, totally ruining even the semblance of him being serious. Tugging gently with his tail, he cocks his head to the side, regarding Todd with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Speaking of Logan, shall we?"  
  
With one last sigh, Todd unsuccessfully attempts to calm his nerves, but casts Kurt a weak smile anyway. "Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be, man," he says as he resumes walking, keeping one arm hooked loosely around the other boy's waist. He looks down the long hallway and wrly wonders if someone should read him his last rights, his mind conjuring images equating this walk to death row. A chill creeps up his spine at the thought and he casts Kurt a sidelong glance, wondering for the umpteenth time if all of this isn't just one, huge mistake that he'll come to regret in the end. Leaning over, he places a short, soft kiss against Kurt's clothed shoulder, briefly rubbing his lips against the fabric before he pulls away. /We'll see,/ his mind tells him, and he supposes that's really all he can do. Wait and see.  
  
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Additional Notes: Okay, anyone who's been to my LJ in the past month or so probably already has at least SOME knowledge of the glorious being that is Pete Wisdom. But for those sitting around, scratching their heads and saying, "Who dat'?", or ready to roast me for introducing an OC, here's a little info.   
  
Pete first showed up in Excalibur, the comics about the European branch of the X-Men, which ran for about 80 or 90 issues (maybe more, I can't remember), and featured Kurt, Kitty, and Colossus. It was, in my opinion, one of the best X-books, and the writing was excellent, especially once Warren Ellis got a hold of it. Ellis created Pete Wisdom, a surly, snarky Brit with a trenchcoat and ridiculously destructive hot knives. Pete was the anti-superhero that Ellis used to kind of ground the group. An ex-British Secret Service agent, he was cruelly truthful and just an all-around smartass. Oh how I loved him.  
  
Okay, before I write a freaking novel on the many wonders of Pete, here's a great site that'll describe him a lot better than I: a href="http://katryn.future.easyspace.com/welcome.htm" Wisdom's Web /a   
  
AND, after a month of suffering through my incessant nagging, my beloved drew me a hump drool worthy pic of Pete, Evolution style! Tis HERE: http://www.deviantart.com/view/3276666/   
  
Go. Worship. Lick his mutha****ing boots. Oh yes. Then tell Bridgie how much you lurve him :3.  
  
Shutting up now ^_^. 


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